La Nube team recognized as 2024 El Pasoans of the Year

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Every year, El Paso Inc. recognizes individuals who have gone above and beyond, making a difference in our community. The team behind El Paso children's museum, La Nube was selected for 2024.

The project first launched into existence after voters in El Paso overwhelmingly approved the Quality of Life Bond in 2012.

Three visionaries helped catapult the vision of La Nube into a reality, carrying the project through the finish line over a decade after voter approval. Eric Pearson, the president and CEO of the El Paso Community Foundation; Stephanie Otero, the vice president of operations for the El Paso Community Foundation; and Josh Hunt, the chairman of the La Nube Board were there through every high and low.

La Nube faced many delays, including the project requiring additional funding than what was originally budgeted by the city, the COVID-19 pandemic (which delayed construction further), and subsequently a fire that broke out in 2023, which resulted in no injuries but further delays.

Despite the various challenges, the project moved forward. In August 2024, the museum finally opened its doors to the public.

"People on opening day, August 10th, and the faces of the kids as they came in, and they're like looking around. They're like, 'Wow.'. And, you know, we heard a kid say, 'This is better than Disneyland.' And I'm like, 'Yes!' Like that was, like the biggest compliment we could have gotten. It was an awesome day, and the community turned out like we sold out every day for a really long time," Otero said.

"When we opened this place to the public and you saw a flood of kids, and every day just walking in the door and kids who are smiling, the screaming, they're doing all the things that they want to do, but also they're learning," Pearson said.

Otero explained to ABC-7 what this project personally means to her.

"This is like the cornerstone of a career-type project, right? Like, this is my legacy. And, you know, the idea that we could create something that was going to have such an educational impact in our community," she said.

Today, La Nube: The Shape of Imagination stands not only as a learning center, but also as a symbol of teamwork and resilience in El Paso.

"I also talk with the staff a lot that it was a roller coaster ride, right? I mean, there were up points, down points, fast points, slow points, scary points, exciting points, and maybe either like a, like, yeah, like a roller coaster ride or the journey of a lifetime," Otero explained when asked how she would describe the journey.

'"You know, I think, you know, outstanding. I think this is an outstanding children's and science museum. It took outstanding people to get involved in this project to make it make it happen. And it's beyond more than the four people and the board that got recognized. This was a countless effort by many people that all provided an outstanding, level of service to make this outstanding project come to fruition," Hunt said.

After 12 years of dedication, the visionaries behind La Nube proved the sky is the limit.

The La Nube team will be honored at the upcoming El Pasoans of the Year Awards celebration on Tuesday, February 25th.