Board of Directors

The directors of WestStar are committed to providing sound governance and responsible financial stewardship for the bank. Our directors all have local ties and possess an unwavering commitment to our community. They come from a variety of backgrounds with a wide range of professional experiences, greatly enhancing our bank leadership.

L. Frederick
(Rick) Francis

Chairman,

WestStar

Meet Rick

Edward Escudero

Vice Chairman,

WestStar

Meet Edward

Paul L. Foster
Founder &

Chief Executive Officer,

Franklin Mountain Investments,

LLC

Meet Paul

Lane B. Gaddy
Chief Executive Officer,

W. Silver Recycling

Meet Lane

John L. Hummer
Co-Founder & President,

Burrell College of

Osteopathic Medicine

Meet John

Joshua W. Hunt
Executive Vice President,

Hunt Companies, Inc.

Meet Joshua

Meyer Marcus
Chairman of the Board,

MIMCO, LLC

Meet Meyer

Emma C. Nevarez

Managing Director, Ecotone Investment Funds / CEO, Salto de Fe Doña Ana, LLC

Meet Emma

Jonathan W. Rogers, Jr.
President &

Chief Executive Officer,

St. Regis Airport Properties

Meet Jonathan

Robert Scott (Bobby) Skov
Owner,

SK-2 Farms, LLC

Meet Bobby

Kelly Tomblin
President &

Chief Executive Officer,

El Paso Electric Company

Meet Kelly

Linda C. Troncoso

President,

TRE & Associates, LLC

Meet Linda

Richard Castro
Advisory Director

Owner & President,

Castro Enterprises, Inc.

Meet Richard

Enrique Escalante

Advisory Director

Chief Executive Officer,

GCC

Meet Enrique

Miguel Fernandez S.
Advisory Director

Chief Executive Officer,

Flō Networks

Meet Miguel

Chairman of WestStar Board of Directors | Director since 1996

L. Frederick “Rick” Francis is Chairman of the Board and CEO of WestStar Bank Holding Company, Inc. and Executive Chairman of WestStar Bank. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the El Paso Electric Company; the Chairman of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center – El Paso President’s Development Council, and the President of the Pioneer Association of El Paso County; a member and past-Chairman of the Medical Center of the Americas Foundation and Paso del Norte Community Foundation, member of the Hospitals of Providence and has served the Governing Board in multiple capacities since 1996, including Chairman at the Transmountain, Memorial and Sierra Campuses.

Mr. Francis served on the Board of Regents for Texas Tech University System (2003 - 2019) and served two terms as Chairman; and the past-Chairman of the El Paso Chamber Foundation. He served on the Executive Committee for the Texas Hospital Trustees, the board of Western Refining, Inc. (NYSE:WNR), the Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, the Texas Economic Development Corporation and the Community Bankers Council of the American Bankers Association. Mr. Francis served as president of Area 5 (Rocky Mountain States) Boy Scouts of America, the Young Presidents Organization, the Yucca Council Boy Scouts of America, the Sunturians, and Crime Stoppers of El Paso. Mr. Francis has been active with the Business Advisory Council at the El Paso Community College, the Rotary Club of El Paso, the Better Business Bureau, the Borderplex Alliance, Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce, and the Texas Business Leadership Council.

In 1996, Mr. Francis was honored as a “Silver Beaver” by the Boy Scouts of America and, in 2001, received the Dean’s Distinguished Service Award from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. In 2005, he was named “Outstanding Ex” by Coronado High School and “Distinguished Alumni” by the Jerry S. Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University in 2008. In 2007, Rick and his wife, Ginger, were named El Paso’s “Philanthropists of the Year” by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In 2009, he was named “El Pasoan of the Year” by El Paso Inc., in 2010 inducted into the El Paso Business Hall of Fame, and in 2020, inducted into the El Paso County Hall of Honor by the El Paso County Historical Society.

He is a graduate of Texas Tech University (BBA Finance), the Texas Tech School of Banking, and the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking conducted at Southern Methodist University. Mr. Francis has been a Director of WestStar Bank since 1996.

Vice Chairman of WestStar | Director since 2014

Edward Escudero is Vice Chairman of WestStar Bank Holding Company, Inc. and WestStar Bank and currently serves as President and CEO of High Desert Capital, LLC, a finance company based in El Paso. He previously held leadership roles including Executive Vice President and CFO of C&R Distributing, a major fuel and lubricant distributor and operator of convenience stores in West Texas and Southern New Mexico. Prior to that, he served as Secretary and CFO of Petro Stopping Centers, L.P., where he played a key role in expanding the company to 34 states with over $2 billion in annual sales. He was responsible for overseeing the company’s financial and administrative functions and was instrumental in leading its successful sale in 2007.

A dedicated advocate for regional growth, Mr. Escudero has served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of El Paso Electric Company and sits on the boards of Hunt Companies Inc., Transtelco Holdings, Inc., TECMA, Kelly Services, Inc., Medical Center of the Americas Foundation, Texas2036, Trellis Company (formerly Texas Guaranteed Student Loans), and the Texas Business Leadership Council. He also contributes to the University of Texas at El Paso through its Business Advisory Council and Development Board and serves on the UT Chancellor’s Council Executive Committee. His past public service includes appointments to the Texas State Securities Board (2007-2011) and the El Paso Water Utility Public Service Board (2010-2013).

Mr. Escudero’s leadership and community impact have been recognized through numerous honors, including the UTEP Distinguished Alumni Award (2023), Lucy G. Acosta Humanitarian Award (2020), Community Spirit Award (2015), El Paso Business Hall of Fame (2014), Hispanos Triunfadores (2013), and the UTEP Gold Nugget Award (2012).

Mr. Escudero is a CPA and received his BBA in Accounting from the University of Texas at El Paso. Mr. Escudero has been a director of WestStar Bank since 2014.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Franklin Mountain Investments, LLC | Director since 2004

Paul L. Foster is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Franklin Mountain Investments, LLC and its affiliated companies. Through these entities, he oversees investments in oil and gas, private equity, real estate, construction, aviation, sports, restaurants, medical devices, and other businesses.

Mr. Foster serves as a director of Franklin Mountain Investments and its affiliated companies. He is Chairman of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Baylor College of Medicine. He is also a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Energy Advisory Council, the Texas Business Leadership Council, and the World Presidents’ Organization. In addition, he serves on the Executive Committee of the Borderplex Regional Economic Alliance.

Previously, Mr. Foster served as Chairman of the Board of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). He also served as Vice Chairman and Chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents and as Chairman of the University of Texas Investment Management Company (UTIMCO). He is a past director of the El Paso Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and a former member of the University of Texas System University Lands Advisory Board and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Mr. Foster and his wife, Alejandra de la Vega Foster, are philanthropists and major supporters of the Borderplex region. They are co-founders of MountainStar Sports Group and owners of the El Paso Chihuahuas (Triple-A Baseball), FC Juárez (Liga MX), and the El Paso Locomotive FC (USL Championship).

Since the early 2000s, Mr. Foster has been a leading catalyst in the revitalization of Downtown El Paso, acquiring and restoring numerous historic properties. His restoration of the Plaza Hotel returned the landmark property to operation as The Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park. He is currently restoring and revitalizing the historic S.H. Kress Building in Downtown El Paso.

Mr. Foster has received the Baylor University Distinguished Alumni Award and has been inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame and the El Paso Business Hall of Fame. He received the City of El Paso’s Conquistador Award in 2007 and 2013, was named El Pasoan of the Year twice, and was previously honored as El Paso’s Entrepreneur of the Year. Mr. Foster has been a director of WestStar Bank since 2004.

Chief Executive Officer of W. Silver Recycling | Director since 2020

Lane B. Gaddy is the CEO and Chairman of W. Silver Recycling, a 100-year-old company servicing the unique by-product needs of manufacturers in the southwest United States and Mexico. He was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and resides in El Paso, Texas.

Mr. Gaddy attended the University of Arizona and graduated with degrees in Finance and Entrepreneurship. He later earned an MBA from the University of Texas in 2012 and recently completed a master’s in professional studies in Real Estate Finance from Georgetown. Additionally, he completed the Stagen Integrated Leadership Program in 2014 and possesses a Bank Director Training Certificate. He currently maintains a Texas Real Estate Broker’s License.

Mr. Gaddy moved to El Paso in 2005 and joined W. Silver Recycling. As the CEO and Chairman of W. Silver Recycling he has overseen growth from two locations with 20 employees to over 350 today with 11 operations in two countries. Mr. Gaddy has overseen W. Silver Recycling path with teams in Mexico and the US and product purchases and sales from over 20 countries.

He is actively involved in the manufacturing, real estate in the US and UK, hospitality, restaurant, liquor, technology, healthcare and finance industries.

Mr. Gaddy currently serves on numerous boards including the University of Arizona Eller Business School National Advisory Board, the University of Arizona McGuire Entrepreneurship National Advisory Board, Medical Center of the Americas, Borderplex Alliance and the El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board. He previously served on the boards of the El Paso Downtown Management District, the Hospitals of Providence Transmountain Campus Governance Board, the El Paso Convention and Visitors Bureau, TIRZ No 5 for the City of El Paso, Insight’s Children Museum, and the Texas Trost Society amongst others. He additionally is a founder and past board member of Progress 321. He has been involved in the Young President’s Organization since 2005.

Mr. Gaddy was nominated as El Pasoan of the Year in 2015. He was inducted into the El Paso Business Hall of Fame in 2016. He was also the recipient of the 2017 Hub of Human Innovation Downtown Award. His downtown development projects have won various awards including two Texas state preservation awards in 2018 and 2019. W Silver Recycling has been nominated for multiple awards including the American Metal Market Scrap Company of the Year in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Mr. Gaddy has been a director of WestStar Bank since 2020.

Co-Founder and President of Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine | Director since 2023

John L. Hummer is co-founder, executive board director, and president of the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine (BCOM) in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He also co-founded the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine. He sits on the Board and Executive Committee of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) and serves as the incoming chairman of AACOM’s Assembly of Medical School Presidents.

He earned his undergraduate degree in economics from Kansas State University under a United States Army scholarship and his master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Kansas. He brings more than 30 years of executive leadership experience in the private hospital industry and in academic teaching hospitals and medical schools. Recruited to Las Cruces in 2000, Mr. Hummer led the development of MountainView Regional Medical Center. He serves on the boards of the Borderplex Alliance and the Paso del Norte Health Foundation.

His past leadership roles include: Board and executive committee member of the Federation of American Hospitals; chairman of the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance, the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, and the Downtown Las Cruces Partnership; and a past president of the Rio Grande Rotary Club. His public service includes six years as Transportation Commissioner, District One, under the Richardson Administration, and service on the Military Base Realignment Commission. He also served as co-chairman of People for Aerospace, leading the successful county-wide campaign to fund Spaceport America.

John and his wife, Amy, have made Las Cruces their permanent home. Mrs. Hummer owns and serves as president of Steinborn Inc. Real Estate, the region’s largest full-service real estate company. Mr. Hummer has served as a director of WestStar Bank since 2023.

Executive Vice President of Hunt Companies, Inc. | Director since 2021

Joshua W. Hunt is Executive Vice President and Vice Chairman of Hunt Companies, Inc., headquartered in El Paso, Texas, and serves on the Investment and Executive Committees, as well as several affiliate board and executive capacities. Mr. Hunt is also President of the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation.

Founded in 1947, Hunt is a diversified and international family-owned holding company that invests in real estate assets, infrastructure and real-asset focused operating businesses. Today, the platforms employ 10,000 people across all affiliates.

In addition to his duties at Hunt, Mr. Hunt serves on numerous civic, non-profit, and professional boards, to include the Board of Directors for the Texas State History Museum Foundation; Vice Chairman of the Trellis Foundation; the Texas Tribune; the Borderplex Alliance; and the Paso Del Norte Foundation. Mr. Hunt is also a member of the Executive Committee for the Texas Business Leadership Council (TBLC), the Advisory Council for the Hunt College of Business Leadership Council at UTEP, and the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) El Paso/Juarez Chapter. He previously served on the board for La Nube (founding Chairman); the Medical Center of the Americas Foundation (former Chair); and the Tenet Providence Hospital Board (former Chair). In addition, Mr. Hunt has served on numerous other civic, non-profit, and professional boards.

Mr. Hunt is Chairman of MountainStar Sports Group (MSSG), an entity formed by Mr. Hunt and his father, Woody Hunt, and another El Paso family to promote regional economic development through sports and entertainment. MountainStar Sports Group owns the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Triple-A Baseball affiliate of the San Diego Padres and El Paso Locomotive FC, a franchise team of the United Soccer League (USL), the second division of the United States Soccer Federation. Mr. Hunt serves as the control person for the El Paso Chihuahua’s and the El Paso Locomotive FC, he is also on the Board of Governors of the United Soccer League (USL).

Mr. Hunt has received numerous awards and honors, including being named El Pasoan of the Year by El Paso Inc. in 2014, a shared honor with MSSG for bringing Triple-A Baseball to El Paso; and to the El Paso Business Hall of Fame by Junior Achievement in 2019; and El Pasoan of the Year by El Paso Inc. in 2024, a shared honor with the La Nube leadership team.

Mr. Hunt graduated from The Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University with a bachelor’s degree in Real Estate/Finance. He also earned an MS degree with honors in Real Estate and Construction Management from the Daniels School of Business at the University of Denver. Mr. Hunt has been a director of WestStar Bank since 2021.

Chairman of the Board of MIMCO, LLC | Director since 2005

Meyer Marcus is Chairman of the Board of MIMCO, LLC, a company he founded in 1973. It is a fully integrated real estate investment, development, management, leasing, and maintenance company. MIMCO has operations in several cities including El Paso, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and the Rio Grande Valley in Texas; Las Cruces, NM; Phoenix, AZ; and is expanding into other southwest markets. With his brother, Clement Marcus, he co-founded LaLa Imports, importers of goods from China, the Philippines, and Mexico.

Mr. Marcus serves on board of directors of the Medical Center of Americas Foundation, Inc., and is a founding director of the board of the Borderplex Community Trust. He previously served on the Jewish Community Foundation of El Paso Board of Directors, was on the Dean’s Advisory Council for Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center-Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, and was the former chairman of the Medical Center of Americas Tech Park Inc. Meyer, and his wife, Mindy, were board members and founders of the El Paso Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Mr. Marcus has been a director of WestStar Bank since 2005.

Managing Director, Ecotone Investment Fund / CEO of Salto de Fe Dona Ana, LLC | Director since 2011

Emma C. Nevarez (Wollschlager) brings a 30-year career spanning executive leadership, corporate compliance, and regional economic development to the Board. She has served as a Director of WestStar Bank for 15 years, notably providing critical oversight as Chair of the Audit Committee for the past 13 years.

Currently, Ms. Nevarez is the Managing Director of Ecotone Investment Fund, an early-stage venture capital firm providing capital to global start-ups while driving value in the Borderplex Region. She is also the Founder and CEO of Salto de Fe Dona Ana, LLC, managing a portfolio of eco-tourism, agriculture, and real estate ventures. Previously, from 2006 to 2022, she served as President and Founder of the Medical Center of the Americas (MCA) Foundation, where she spearheaded major infrastructure developments, including the region’s first biomedical incubator (the Cardwell Collaborative). Her early career includes extensive experience in healthcare management, strategic planning, and regulatory compliance for organizations including Tenet Healthcare and Sinaiko Healthcare Consulting.

A recognized leader in the Borderplex market, Ms. Nevarez was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (2019–2026), where she chaired the Agency Operations Committee and Committee on Academic and Workforce Success. She is a 2016 inductee into the El Paso Business Hall of Fame and the 2017 El Pasoan of the Year.

Emma currently serves on the board of Workforce Solutions Borderplex and the advisory boards for College of Engineering and College of Education for the University of Texas at El Paso and the Community Advisory Board for the UT Health Houston School of Public Health. She has served as the co-chair of El Paso’s chapter of Stanford OVAL since its inception in the region in 2016, and she was a founding director of both Progress321, a young professional’s organization, and the PDN Center of Hope, an anti-human trafficking organization. She also served on the selection committee for the TTUHSC El Paso Founding President, the Borderplex Alliance, the El Paso Chamber, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ Emerging Leaders Council, and the board of La Fe Preparatory School.

Emma attended Loretto Academy in El Paso. She received her BA in Human Biology concentrating in Comparative Health Policy from Stanford University and her MPH in Health Services Management from UCLA, where she was a Foley & Lardner Fellow. Ms. Nevarez has been a director of WestStar Bank since 2011.

President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Regis Airport Properties | Director since 1997

Jonathan W. Rogers, Jr. is the President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Regis Airport Properties, a real estate and investment company in El Paso. He is also involved as an owner or partner in various other financial and real estate investments. He is active in numerous civic, educational, and charitable causes. Mr. Rogers earned a Bachelor of Art in Economics from Yale University. Mr. Rogers has been a director of WestStar Bank since 1997.

Owner of SK-2 Farms, LLC | Director since 2019

Robert Scott “Bobby” Skov, a fourth generation El Pasoan, is the owner of SK-2 Farms LLC, Skov Equipment Company, and is a partner in Bar-S Produce and Rio Seco Ag and Supply. In 2016, Mr. Skov along with other partners established T4S Limited Partnership, a real estate development group focused on development of residential properties in the Lower Valley.

Mr. Skov is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics and also from the National Cotton Council of Americas Leadership Program. He serves as the Rio Grande Compact Commissioner, and on the board of directors of the Hudspeth County Conservation and Reclamation District. Mr. Skov is a former director of the El Paso County Water Improvement District #1, the past president of the El Paso Valley Cotton Association and the past president of the Valley Gin Company. Mr. Skov has been a director of WestStar Bank since 2019.

President and Chief Executive Officer of El Paso Electric Company | Director since 2023

Kelly Tomblin is President and Chief Executive Officer of El Paso Electric Company. Ms. Tomblin brings over 30 years of extensive experience in the energy industry, having worked across the U.S., the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, and Latin America. Her expertise lies in operational improvement and public image enhancement, and she has played a pivotal role in positioning utilities and related industries as leaders in the energy sector by developing innovative visions and strategic directions essential for their success. Ms. Tomblin was honored as S&P Platts Global CEO of the Year.

During her tenure, she has spearheaded several key initiatives, including the development of a newly envisioned strategic plan, the implementation of smart metering and automated system technology, and the deployment of electric vehicle infrastructure. Under her leadership, the company has implemented an aggressive grid and generation construction program for economic development and energy security.

Prior to joining El Paso Electric Company, Ms. Tomblin served as President, CEO, and Board Member of both INTREN (MASTEC) and Jamaica Public Service, the utility that serves Jamaica West Indies. While in Jamaica, she also served on the Caribbean Utilities Board. As Regional Vice President of International Power/Engie, she led business development activities that resulted in significant growth and market expansion. Before her tenure at ENGIE, she served as President of Pennsylvania Electric Company, a subsidiary of First Energy Corporation. Ms. Tomblin began her career in the energy sector as an attorney at K&L Gates.

Ms. Tomblin is a board member of El Paso Electric Company; the El Paso Chamber of Commerce; El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank; El Paso Downtown Management District; The Hospitals of Providence Governing Board; Edison Electric Institute; and is Vice Chair of The Borderplex Alliance. She is also a member of the Advisory Council for Hunt Institute for Global Competitiveness; the Texas Tech President’s Development Council, and the Executive Forum.

Ms. Tomblin holds an MBA from New York University’s Leonard Stern School of Business and a Juris Doctorate and Bachelor of Science in Journalism with a public relations concentration from West Virginia University. Ms. Tomblin has served as a director of WestStar Bank since 2023.

President of TRE & Associates, LLC | Director since 2020

Linda C. Troncoso is the President of TRE & Associates, LLC, a minority-owned, woman-owned civil engineering firm with offices in El Paso and Austin, Texas. TRE & Associates provides project management services including design and construction management for numerous municipal and land development projects throughout Texas and New Mexico specializing in land development and water and wastewater utilities. Ms. Troncoso and her firm currently serve as the District Engineer for seventeen Municipal Utility Districts in the El Paso Region.

As part of her community involvement, she serves on the board of directors for the Paso del Norte Community Foundation and on the Texas Medical Board, is member of Executive Forum and El Paso Association of Builders and is a past board member and chairman of both the Governing Board of Directors for the Hospitals of Providence Memorial Campus, and the Medical Center of the Americas. Ms. Troncoso is a licensed Professional Engineer with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso and has been practicing engineering in Texas since 1999. Ms. Troncoso has served as a director of WestStar Bank since 2020.

Owner and President of Castro Enterprises, Inc. | Director since 2011

Richard Castro

is a El Paso businessman, philanthropist, civic leader, and Texas State University Distinguished Alumnus who has dedicated his life to making a positive social impact through entrepreneurship, education, and community service. His decades-long contributions to Texas State University, El Paso, and the Hispanic community are unparalleled.

Born and raised in Del Rio, Texas, to immigrant parents, Richard earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Texas State University in 1970. While in college, he worked as a short-order cook—an experience that foreshadowed his future in the restaurant industry. Richard began his career as a third-grade history teacher in the Eagle Pass Independent School District. He later served as Assistant City Manager and then City Manager for Del Rio (1972–1980) before venturing into real estate and construction.

In 1983, Richard acquired his first McDonald’s restaurant in El Paso, Texas, at Hawkins and Interstate 10. Over time, he expanded his operations to 35 McDonald’s locations across El Paso, Carlsbad, and Artesia, employing more than 2,000 people. Recognizing the tastes of his West Texas customers, he introduced the breakfast burrito to McDonald’s menus, adopted nationwide. Richard went on to become the company’s largest Hispanic owner/operator with 27 restaurants in Texas and over 1,000 employees.

Beyond business success, Richard uses his platform to champion education. In 1985, as president of the McDonald’s Hispanic Owner/Operator Association (MHOA), he helped create the Hispanic American Commitment to Educational Resources (HACER) Scholarship Program, now one of the nation’s largest for Hispanic students, awarding over $33 million since inception.

Mr. Castro also founded and chairs CREED (Council for Regional Economic Expansion and Educational Development), dedicated to increasing post-secondary attainment for El Paso County students. In 2019, he partnered with El Paso Community College, UTEP, and McDonald’s El Paso to launch a $100,000 annual scholarship program for local high school seniors.

Richard has a long standing and distinguished connection to connection to Texas State University. He has been an active supporter of the Men’s Basketball Tip-In Club, the Bobcat Club, the Founders Society, and the Texas State Development Foundation Board. He was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1997 and honored with the College of Liberal Arts Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in 2013. In 2013 he established the Richard A. Castro Endowed Scholarship, to support students in the College of Liberal Arts and Athletics. Richard made a $100,000 contribution to the Bobcats to Bobcats Fund in 2020 to aid students affected by COVID 19. For contributing more than $1 million to the university, he was named a Texas State University Hero, with both the Richard A. Castro Legacy Club and the Richard A. Castro Undergraduate Admissions Center dedicated in his honor. In 2025, he received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

His philanthropic leadership extends throughout El Paso and beyond. He founded CommUNITY en Acción (CEA) in 2010 to mobilize Latino/a leaders in advancing education, economic development, and cultural pride, and in 2018 CEA established the Richard Castro Community Service Scholarship in recognition of his commitment to service. He has contributed to numerous organizations, including the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation, Providence Children’s Hospital—where he served as Board Chairman—and Ronald McDonald House Charities of El Paso. From 2014 to 2023, he also served on the Board of Trustees for Our Lady of the Lake University.

His contributions have been acknowledged through several prestigious honors, including Hispanic Businessman of the Year from the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (2005), the National Restaurant Association’s Faces of Diversity American Dream Award (2011), El Pasoan of the Year (2015), the McDonald’s Fred L. Turner Golden Arch Award (2020), and the Texas Higher Education Distinguished Service Award (2021). Mr. Castro has served as a director of WestStar Bank since 2011.

Chief Executive Officer of GCC | Director since 2025

Enrique Escalante joined GCC in 1999 and has held several senior management positions, starting as President of the Mexico Division. In 2000 he was appointed President of the U.S. Division and in 2015 he was promoted to Chief Executive Officer.

Prior to that, Enrique held senior management positions in various commercial organizations in Mexico, including positions in the Mexican wood products industry in the departments of finance, planning, sales and marketing. He served as CEO of Plywood Ponderosa de México, S.A. de C.V. and later as President of the Ponderosa Division at Grupo Industrial Durango, S.A. de C.V. In addition, he has been Chairman of the Portland Cement Association (PCA) in the United States and of the Board of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) in the Rocky Mountain Chapter in Colorado. Currently, he is a board member of GCC, Duraplay de Parral, and of Banamex (Consejo Regional del Norte).

Enrique holds a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, and an M.B.A. from Cornell University. He has also participated in several executive education programs, including IPADE D-1 program and Harvard University’s YPO Presidents Seminar. Mr. Escalante has served as a director of WestStar Bank since 2025.

Chief Executive Officer of Flō Networks | Director since 2018

Miguel Fernandez S. is a business and community leader active in both the United States and Mexico. He serves as CEO of Flō Networks, a multinational telecommunications company he co-founded in 2001. Flō provides digital infrastructure services to Fortune 1000 companies, including other telecommunications and cable operators, over a fiber-optic network that spans more than 32,000 route miles.

Mr. Fernandez’s professional activities focus on telecommunications, finance, and real estate. At Flō, he oversees the execution and implementation of the company’s strategic goals and objectives, including overall budgets, mergers, and acquisitions.

A native of the Paso del Norte region, Mr. Fernandez is involved with many community groups and non-profit organizations. He was instrumental in the movement to establish a children’s museum in El Paso. He is a member of Borderplex Alliance, an El Paso-based bi-national economic development organization and serves on the board of managers of University Medical Center.

Mr. Fernandez earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in finance from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1998. Mr. Fernandez has been a director of WestStar Bank since 2018.