EL PASO, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The El Paso Electric Company (EPE) (NYSE:EE) Board of Directors announces that Mary Kipp, President of EPE, has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), today, December 15, 2015.

Thomas V. Shockley, who has served as CEO for EPE since 2012, has fulfilled his contract and will continue to play a vital role as a Board member. Shockley has been instrumental in positioning EPE as an industry leader and establishing succession planning that promotes local leadership and diversity, as he looks forward to the future of EPE.

“As a native of this region, Mary understands the diverse community we serve and the future needs of this region,” says Shockley. “She values the importance of working with and developing our talented employees who continue to provide our customers with safe and reliable energy. During her time here, Mary has proven her leadership and commitment to our unique region, and understands the need to foster strong economic development and growth. As she takes on this new role, I am confident that she will continue to enhance the Company’s performance in order to best serve our customers.”

Mary Kipp was born in El Paso and raised in southern New Mexico. Kipp has been with EPE since December 2007, and has overseen several departments at the Company.

“I am extremely honored to step into this role and continue on the path that Tom has set to lead El Paso Electric into a successful future,” said Mary Kipp, President of El Paso Electric. “We are dedicated to the success and well-being of our service area, in which we all work and serve. We continue to plan ahead for the exciting growth and innovation that we are experiencing, and as EPE invests in cost-effective new technologies we are ensuring that we meet our region’s future needs.”

Background:

Prior to joining the Company, Kipp was a senior attorney in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Office of Enforcement in Washington, DC.

Kipp received a Bachelor of Arts cum laude from Williams College, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Texas School of Law, and is an alumnus of Exeter College, University of Oxford. She is a member of the Texas Bar (1994) and Colorado Bar (2002). Kipp is active in numerous community organizations, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, El Paso branch (Board of Directors), Borderplex Binational Economic Alliance (Leadership Group), Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce (Board of Directors), Executive Women in Energy, the Women Corporate Directors Greater New Mexico Chapter, and the Sun Bowl Association (Board of Directors).

El Paso Electric is a regional electric utility providing generation, transmission and distribution service to approximately 400,000 retail and wholesale customers in a 10,000 square mile area of the Rio Grande valley in west Texas and southern New Mexico. El Paso Electric has a net dependable generating capability of 2,010 MW.

Professional women in energy meet to discuss the value of diverse fuel resources

Today’s energy industry is abuzz with debate over how to address climate change, increase the use of wind and solar, help customers generate their own electricity, and continue to provide enough power to keep industries and traffic lights operating twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

While energy issues are important to men and women alike, women are playing a strategic role in the conversations. Some of these women will be featured at an upcoming conference on Oct. 14 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Omaha.

Sponsored by the Association of Women in Energy, a national organization for professional women, the Power Matters Conference will debut with informational sessions about choices and challenges facing various fuel resources in the Midwest. Experts in the areas of renewables, nuclear, coal, the energy markets, environmental regulation and organizational leadership will headline the event. Speakers include executives from Exelon, Tenaska, The Energy Authority, Department of Energy, American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity and the American Public Power Association. An agenda and registration information can be found at www.awenergy.org.

“What is the future of coal and nuclear in producing electricity? What role does distributed generation play? How do regional markets work as our energy resources change? These are topics of interest to private and public energy businesses throughout the Midwest,” said AWE President Becky Motal. “Regardless the fuel source, those who generate, regulate, and market it have shared interest in how it affects our economy and our respective industries. The Power Matters Conference gives women and men the opportunity to gain knowledge on a broad spectrum of energy issues from recognized leaders shaping the energy debate.”

Rounding out the conference is motivational speaker Holly Hoffman, finalist in Season 21 of Survivor. Utility sponsors of the event include the Nebraska Public Power District, The Energy Authority and Tenaska Marketing Ventures. Other businesses can sponsor the event at www.awenergy.org .

“Power matters in this country,” said Motal. “AWE wants conference attendees to walk away inspired and to participate in the dialogue.”

MEDIA CONTACTS:

When Becky Motal announced her retirement as general manager of the Lower Colorado River Authority effective at the end of last year, most anybody who knew her likely had the same thought: This will never last. Sure enough, in February she was named president and chairman of the Association of Women in Energy, a relatively new nonprofit that aims to connect and unite women in the industry. And she’s got a consulting business. Some retirement.

“I’ve truly found a great interest in this from others in the industry” said Motal, who worked in a variety of capacities at the LCRA for more than 25 years. “It’s fun to be involved in the industry from a different perspective. So I’m staying really, really busy.”

Motal, 64, says her organization has about 500 active members, but “the potential is huge if we get the word out about the value we can create for our membership.”

All employees of companies that sponsor the association are automatically members. Roughly a dozen companies are sponsors; the group also has individual members that work for other entities. A key component of the nonprofit is to foster and encourage networking and information-sharing. Think of it, in part, as a sort of Facebook for female energy professionals. The organization was founded in 2010.

Anybody in the top job at the River Authority is bound to be criticized, and Motal got her share, including when the agency floated the idea of lowering Lake Austin’s level 2 to 4 feet to catch rainwater during this cursed drought. Homeowners said such a move would destroy their property values. So what does she miss?

“I really miss the policy discussions because there’s so much going on in the state relating to water and energy,” she said. “It’s real hard to make it rain. (Current General Manager) Phil Wilson has a tough job.”

CONTACT PATRICK BEACH AT 512-445-3603.

PBEACH@STATESMAN.COM