Public Service Board names new president, CEO
The Public Service Board has named John E. Balliew, P.E., the next president and CEO of El Paso Water Utilities.
Balliew has been with EPW since April 1983 and currently serves as its vice president of operations and technical services.
Ed Archuleta, the current EPWU president and CEO, is set to retire in 2013. Archuleta will serve on the board of managers set to oversee the El Paso Independent School District board of trustees.
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The Public Service Board has selected John E. Balliew, P.E., to serve as the President & CEO of El Paso Water Utilities.
Balliew, a native El Pasoan, currently serves as the utility’s Vice President of Operations and Technical Services. He oversees operation of the utility’s six water treatment plants, 150 groundwater wells, the system of pipes and reservoirs which deliver and stores water around the city, and the maintenance and operation of EPWU’s stormwater management system.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Texas A&M University, Balliew returned to his hometown and began work as a laboratory technician at EPWU. He rose quickly within the organization, holding several leadership positions before being named Vice President in 2007. He has served the Utility for nearly 30 years.
Balliew is a licensed professional engineer and was named by the El Paso Chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers as its Engineer of the Year in 2012 and its Young Engineer of the Year in 1992.
During his career at EPWU, Balliew has been directly involved in many of the innovative projects which have helped secure El Paso’s water future. Those projects include construction of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant, expansion of groundwater resources, and on-going projects designed to mitigate the impacts of the region’s on-going drought.
The board engaged the services of Bob Murray and Associates to lead a nationwide search for the new President and CEO who will oversee EPWU’s water, wastewater, reclaimed water and stormwater divisions. Balliew, who was selected from a field of more than 40 applicants, will replace Edmund G. “Ed” Archuleta, P.E., who is retiring after leading the utility for 24 years. Archuleta will remain on the job into 2013 to oversee the transition.
