top of page

Member Spotlight: Manuel Quiñones


Tell us about yourself.


I was born in Laredo, Texas, but was moved to El Paso for a better quality of life. After graduating from Coronado High School with an International Baccalaureate Diploma, I moved to Lubbock, Texas to study Electrical Engineering at Texas Tech University. While at Texas Tech, I explored different career concentrations and concluded Power was my passion. I later found and secured an internship with one of the largest power companies in the United States, American Electric Power. After earning my degree in 2013, AEP offered me the opportunity to join their team as a full-time employee at their Texas home office in Corpus Christi. Having missed my home city of El Paso ever since graduation, following three years with AEP, I applied for a position at El Paso Electric, and found my way back home after eight long years away.


What are some of the major milestones in your professional life?


Working with AEP was a significant milestone in my career, not only because it was the first, but because of the opportunities it gave me. AEP taught me a great deal about the Power Industry which allowed me to get hired by EPE to lead the initiative on a newly developed department.


How does YLS add value to your personal and/or professional life?


YLS adds value to my life by allowing me to show others the value that El Paso brings not just to my family and myself, but with others that I have the privilege of interacting with at events. There are so many individuals and communities here that have made a difference in my life, it is a privilege to help organize events to open other eyes to the fellowship and potential that this city holds. During my last year of high school, all I heard was how ready my classmates were to get out of El Paso. I want to help change the narrative, El Paso is a city worth living in, let us show you why.


What is your favorite thing to do out of work in El Paso?


What is the best way to stay cool in the Sun City? Swimming! I’ve been swimming my whole life and to this day cannot get enough of it. My passion for swimming has also grown a passion for coaching and I have done plenty of both at indoor and outdoor pools (but outdoor is my favorite).


Do you have any skills or talents most people don’t know about?


It sounds strange, but I am great at learning. I love to learn, not necessarily the way other people like learning about what they are interested in. I love the process, I love working with ideas and theories and finding out more about them. It makes me good at it and allows me to wrap my head around concepts and thoughts other people bring to the table.


What would be your personal motto?

Be the chess player, not the piece.

Comments


bottom of page