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Meet the Team

Varzavand Irani, Chief Executive Officer

Avan

Chief Executive Officer

Varzavand "Avan" Irani assumed the position of CEO in September 2019 and is NEC's seventh CEO since opening its doors in 1938. Irani steps into the role of Chief Executive Officer after serving the members of NEC for 16 years.  Irani began his career at NEC in 2003 as Project Manager/Distribution Engineer. In 2011, he was promoted to the role of Chief Operations Officer in which he assisted in strategic growth and managed operational aspects of the Co-op.

Irani earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Bombay in India, a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University-Kingsville and completed a Master of Business Administration with a Certification in Energy Finance and Logistics from Texas A&M University-Kingsville, he is also a licensed professional engineer in the State of Texas.

1

Chief Executive Officer

Sarah Fisher, AGM & Chief Compliance Officer

Sarah

Assistant General Manager & Chief Compliance Officer

Sarah Fisher manages the human resource, safety & loss control, corporate communications & regulatory affairs/compliance functions for NEC. She also serves as the Assistant GM, ready to support and serve in place of NEC's CEO, if ever needed.

Sarah supports the Retail Market, Strategic Planning, Education, and Annual Meeting Committees of the Cooperative Board of Directors. She is also the staff administrator of the Cooperative's charitable foundation and grant program, and the staff lead for the Cooperative's strategic and emergency response planning.

She is a certified Senior Professional (SPHR) with the HR Certification Institute and is a Society of Human Resources Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), as well as a Certified Cooperative Communicator and Certified Key Account Executive with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

She holds a Bachelors of Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma and a Masters of Business Administration from Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi. 

Adriana Pena, Chief Financial Officer

Adriana

Chief Financial Officer

Adriana Pena is NEC’s Chief Financial Officer.  Pena has worked for NEC for over two decades. Adriana began her career with NEC in 1998 as New Service Coordinator.  She held several positions at the Cooperative prior to being named Chief Financial Officer in 2017. 

As CFO, Adriana directs and controls the financial and accounting functions, practices, and procedures of the Cooperative to ensure a sound financial position and achievement of short and long-term goals. She oversees the Accounting, Member Care, Plant Facilities and Maintenance Departments at NEC.

Adriana is a graduate of Texas A&M University, holding a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Economics with an emphasis is Agricultural Business.  She earned a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University Kingsville with Certification in Accounting Logistics and Energy Finance. She has a Cooperative Financial Professional Certificate. 

Frank Wilson, Chief Retail Officer

Frank Wilson Headshot

Chief Retail Officer

Frank Wilson began his career with NEC in 1993 as a Staking Technician. In 1994 he was promoted to Manager of Member services and Chief Retail Officer in 2004. In this role Wilson oversees NECs retail division and it's day to day operations as well as rates, budget, marketing, policies, and procedures, hiring and management of employees, and contracts. He has also served on the ERCOT/RMS Committee since 2004 and was instrumental in NEC becoming the first electric cooperative in Texas to voluntary deregulate. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas and a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi. 

Joanna Prado, Human Resources & Corporate Communications Manager

prado

Human Resources & Corporate Communications Manager

Joanna Prado is the Human Resources & Corporate Communications Manager for Nueces Electric Cooperative. Her career with NEC began in 2016. As the Human Resources & Corporate Communications Manager, Joanna plans, manages, and administers the human resource function of the cooperative for the purpose of recruiting, developing and retaining an effective workforce to meet the mission of the Cooperative. She also effectively and efficiently markets the Cooperative and its products and services and promotes a positive, collaborative, and respectful organizational culture and member and public relations. Joanna holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science Degree from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Joanna obtained her certification as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) in 2022.

Joe Huerta III, Safety & Loss Control Manager

Joe

Safety & Loss Control Manager

 

Joe Huerta III is NEC's Safety & Loss Control Manager. He has nearly two decades of electric utility experience. He joined NEC in 2011 as a groundman/apprentice. Shortly after joining NEC, he completed his apprenticeship program in and became a Serviceman in Orange Grove Service Center. In 2015, he was promoted to District Supervisor and his current position in 2017. His responsibilities include implementing organizational safety programs to ensure a safe, healthy, and accident-free work environment. Prior to joining NEC has worked for Medina Electric Cooperative as a Class A Lineman. Joe is a Certified Loss Control Professional. 

Manuel Mayorga, Line Superintendent

Manuel

Line Superintendent

Manuel Mayorga is NEC's Line Superintendent. While managing the Operations department, Manuel is responsible for the new construction and maintenance of NEC's distribution system. He joined NEC in 1990 and was promoted to his current role in 2013. Prior to joining NEC, Manuel enrolled in the power delivery program through Northwest Lineman College where he completed and obtained his lineman certification.

Sergey Seryogin, Technical Services Manager

Sergey

Director of IT

Pete Jensen, Accounting Manager

Pete J

Accounting Manager

James “Pete” Jensen is the Accounting Manager for Nueces Electric Cooperative. As the Accounting Manager, Pete plans, organizes, coordinates, directs, and controls the financial and accounting functions, practices, and procedures of the Cooperative to ensure a sound financial position and achievement of long- and short-term goals. Pete holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University, as well as a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Memphis. He is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of Texas.

Rhonda Bell, Member Care Manager

Rhonda

Member Care Manager

Rhonda Bell is NEC's Member Care Manager. Bell has worked in the electric utility industry for more than 20 years. She began her career with NEC in 2001 as a Billing Representative. In 2010, she was promoted to Supervisor of Customer Service and then Manager of Member Care in 2015. In her position, Rhonda manages and supervises all new service, billing, capital credits, collections, and cashier activities. Rhonda has successfully completed various National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and Texas Electric Cooperative courses. 

Vicky Garcia, Member Care Assistant Manager

Vicky

Assistant Member Care Manager

Veronica “Vicky” Garcia is NEC’s Member Care Assistant Manager.   Vicky has worked for NEC more than 12 years.  She began her career as a District Office Coordinator in 2008 at the Ricardo Service Center and the Ben Bolt Service Center in 2012 until she was promoted to Member Care Assistant Manager in 2016.  In her position, Vicky assists the Member Care Manager in all new service, billing, and cashier activities.  She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a minor in Sociology and recently earned her Master of Arts degree in Sociology from Texas A&M University in Kingsville in December 2021.

Bill Gunn, Metering Supervisor

Bill

Meter Supervisor

Bill Gunn is the metering supervisor for NEC.  He came to NEC in 2014 after 25 years in state government service.  He oversees the installation, reading and testing of all of the meters in the NEC system.  He also manages the Automated Metering Infrastructure which provides readings for billing and outage notification to the outage management system for the operations department, as well as other alarms that may need to be checked by a technician to ensure the safety of the NEC system and our members.  

Jesus Olivarez, Physical Plant Supervisor

Jesus O.

Physical Plant Supervisor

Jesus Olivarez is the Physical Plant Supervisor for Nueces Electric Cooperative. He came onboard to NEC in 2009 as a Meter Collector for the Meter Department. After three years as a Meter Collector, Jesus was promoted to Physical Plants Supervisor in 2012. As the Physical Plants Supervisor, Jesus ensures the operation and maintenance of the facilities, building and grounds, and fleet and inspects electrical systems for proper operation and maintenance. Jesus earned his AAS in Occupational Safety in May 2021 and his AAS Building Maintenance Applied Technology in August 2016.

Andrew Villarreal, Engineering Supervisor

Andrew V.

Engineering Supervisor

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©2023 Nueces Electric Cooperative. Energizing South Texas for a stronger tomorrow.

  • About Us
    • About NEC
    • Board of Directors
    • Meet the Team
    • Service Area
    • Co-op FAQ's
    • Transparency and Your Cooperative
    • Rates & Fees
    • CR Relations
    • Contact Us
    • Careers
    • 2022 Annual Meeting
  • Member Services
    • New Service Applications
    • New Construction
    • Choose A Power Provider
    • Payment Options
      • SmartHub Mobile FAQs
    • Member Handbook
      • Understanding Your Electric Bill
    • Critical Care Renewal Letter
    • Outages
      • Outage Texting
      • Load Shed Events
    • Capital Credits
    • Metering
    • Electrician Services
  • Efficiency & Safety
    • Safety
    • Together We Save
    • Energy Calculators
    • Energy for Teachers and Kids
    • Power Usage Alerts
    • Solar Energy
    • Understanding Demand
    • ERCOT FAQs
  • Community Involvement
    • Scholarships
    • Youth Leadership Tour
    • Field Trips
    • HALO-Flight Guardian Program
    • Safety Demonstrations
    • #Lineman2Lineman Program
    • Nueces Electric Charities
    • Co-op Connections
    • Charitable Sponsorship Form
    • Rural Friends/ACRE Form
    • Operation Round-Up
  • News
    • News & Publications
    • Media
  • Storm Center