MENU ABOUT US Senior Leadership John E. Balliew, President & CEO Balliew leads all aspects of water, wastewater, reclaimed water and stormwater services for El Paso Water. Balliew is a 30-year veteran of the utility, starting his career at the laboratory in 1983 and holding various positions of increasing responsibility. Before becoming President and CEO in 2013, he was vice president of operations and technical services. Balliew is a registered professional engineer. He was instrumental in shaping the 50-year water resource plan for Far West Texas (Region E). Marcela Navarrete, VP – Strategic, Financial and Management Services In her two decades at El Paso Water, Navarrete worked her way up from accountant to be the first woman Chief Financial Officer and now also leads strategic and management services with scope that includes accounting, procurement, land management, customer service, information technology and human resources. She is credited with driving efficiencies and maintaining the utility’s AA+ bond rating while keeping El Paso Water and wastewater rates among the lowest in Texas. Navarrete holds an accounting degree from The University of Texas at El Paso and is a Certified Public Accountant. She has served on many community and professional Boards and in 2016 was named a Woman of Impact by El Paso Inc. Alan Shubert, VP – Engineering, Operations and Technical Services Shubert is a 34-year veteran in engineering, with a career spanning both private and public sector. In 2014, Shubert joined El Paso Water, with leadership responsibilities for water, wastewater, stormwater, engineering, water resources, energy management, and security. Before coming to the utility, he held several positions with the City of El Paso, including City Engineer, Development Services Director and Building Permits and Inspections Director. He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the New Mexico State University. His certifications include registration as a Professional Engineer in Texas, Licensed General Contractor in New Mexico, International Code Council Certified Building Official and Certified Flood Plain Manager with the Texas Floodplain Management Association. Daniel Ortiz, General Counsel In 2020, El Paso Water named Ortiz to serve as chief legal counsel for the Public Service Board, the President/CEO and management on a variety of legal issues relating to El Paso Water. Prior to that, he served as Assistant General Counsel for El Paso Water. He has also served as Assistant City Attorney for the City of El Paso and Assistant District Attorney for the 34th Judicial District of Texas. Ortiz holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Stanford University and a Juris Doctor from American University’s Washington College of Law. He is admitted to practice law in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas and in Texas courts. Ortiz is a member of the Federal Bar Association, the American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, and El Paso Bar Association. Lisa Franklin Rosendorf, Chief Communications & Government Affairs Officer Rosendorf joined El Paso Water in 2015 and oversees communications and government affairs and the TecH2O Center, which leads conservation and educational outreach. Rosendorf brings more than 25 years of expertise in the public affairs arena. Before coming to the utility, she served as division leader for communications and government affairs at Los Alamos National Laboratory. She has in-house and agency experience creating strategies to help Fortune 500 companies to be effective in corporate communications, government relations, community relations and crisis management. Rosendorf has a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Trinity University. Art Duran, Chief Financial Officer Duran is a 20-year veteran with the water utility. He started his career as an accountant and worked his way up through increasing levels of responsibility and promotions to Chief Financial Officer in 2012. Duran obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from University of Texas at El Paso in 1993. During his time with El Paso Water, the utility has received the Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its annual budget document and the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the utility’s annual financial statements. Gilbert Trejo, Chief Technical Officer Trejo oversees the technical services portfolio for the utility, which includes engineering, planning and development, and project and construction management. Before coming to El Paso Water in 2014, he was the Principal in charge of Arcadis’ Water Division in the El Paso, TX region. In that role, he led business development, designed and managed projects, and ensured financial performance. Trejo is a Board Member for the WateReuse Association and Water Environment and Reuse Research Foundation. He is a published author on water reuse and water infrastructure topics. He is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Texas and a Certified Floodplain Manager. Trejo earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Master’s of Science in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from the University of Texas, Austin. Felipe Lopez, Chief Operations Officer - Distribution and Collection Lopez oversees maintenance, construction and repairs of the water distribution and wastewater collection systems. Lopez’s career in city civil service began in 1997 in the Metropolitan Planning Organization and later in the City Engineering Department. He then joined El Paso Water in 1999. He promoted through the engineering ranks and managed every section in engineering before moving to operations in 2018. Lopez earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1996. He is a licensed professional engineer in Texas and New Mexico and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Martin Noriega, Chief Operations Officer - Support Noriega oversees Stormwater Operations and Fleet Maintenance. Noriega began his service to the utility in 1997 as a Well Production Field Operator. In 2002, he left the city for a year but returned to the City Engineering Department, where he worked for seven years. In 2010, he returned to EPWater as a Utility Engineer. He was later promoted to Stormwater Operations Manager and then became a division manager, with added responsibility for fleet maintenance. Noriega holds three degrees from the University of Texas at El Paso: a B.S. in Civil Engineering, an M.S. in Construction Management and a M.S. in Water Resources Engineering Management. He is a licensed professional engineer and a veteran of the United States Air Force. Paul Rivas, Chief Operations Officer - Production and Treatment Rivas oversees the utility plants. His career started with El Paso Water in 1984 as a Laboratory Technician at the Fred Hervey Water Reclamation Plant. He has worked 30 years in Laboratory Services. As a manager, he was instrumental in consolidating the satellite laboratories into the International Water Quality Laboratory. He served as the Environmental Compliance Manager before he was promoted to his current position. Rivas earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology, with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Texas at El Paso. Alfredo Solano, Chief Information Officer Solano oversees all aspects of Information Technology as well as the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Department, which manages the automation and control of the utility’s infrastructure. Solano has been with El Paso Water for almost 20 years, beginning his tenure as a Programmer/Analyst. He promoted through technical and managerial positions before becoming the Chief Information Officer. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Texas at El Paso. El Paso Water | All Rights Reserved | Powered by CivicLive | © 2018 West Corporation