El Paso Electric (EPE) announced that Cheryl Mele is their new Vice President of Customer Care and Corporate Communications, as of July 19, 2021.
“Cheryl brings more than 30 years of experience in the energy industry leading innovations to better serve customers, including operational improvements for greater efficiencies, the facilitation of electric transportation, and the deployment of smart metering technology,” said EPE President and CEO Kelly A. Tomblin.
“Her diverse experience and expertise, together with her deep passion for listening to customers, will drive stronger partnerships with all of our stakeholders.”
Mele currently serves as EPE’s Regional Vice President of Government Affairs for the Company’s Texas service territory. Prior to joining EPE in February 2021, much of her career was with Austin Energy, a municipally owned electric utility serving the City of Austin, Texas.
While at Austin Energy, Mele held roles of increasing responsibility from engineer, to Director of System Operations, then on to Deputy General Manager and Chief Operating Officer. She later became the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), then returned briefly to Austin Energy to serve as the Interim Vice President of Regulatory Affairs.
Mele also serves as an Executive Board Member for the Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute, Boy Scouts of America, and the Association of Women in Energy.
She is a Texas-registered professional engineer, completed the utility executive program at the University of Idaho, and received her BS in mechanical engineering from Union College in Schenectady, New York.
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