New Board Members Take Oath

(left to right) City Clerk Richarda Momsen, Richard Bonart, Katherine Brennand, Edward Escudero and Richard Schoephoerster.

Since 1952, a five-member Public Service Board has been charged with oversight of El Paso Water Utilities, but that is no longer the case. Four new members were sworn in on Jan. 13, bringing the total number of members to seven. The new members are: Richard Bonart, Katherine Brennand, Edward Escudero and Richard Schoephoerster.

Dr. Bonart is owner of Belvidere Animal Clinic and chief executive officer of Danart Software LLC. He is treasurer for Citizens for Flood Prevention, member in charge of City Affairs for the Borderland Mountain Bike Association, and former chairman of the City’s Open Space Advisory Board. Dr. Bonart holds a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree from Texas A&M University.

Ms. Brennand is a former business owner and educator who worked extensively with El Paso boards and agencies over the years. Her current involvement includes the City Museums and Cultural Affairs Board, El Paso Museum of Art Foundation Board and UT Austin Fine Arts Advisory Board. She is also a member of the Paso Del Norte Group, Leadership Texas, Leadership America and Paso del Norte Group. Ms. Brennand earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, a post graduate degree from the University of Vienna in Austria, and an MBA degree from the University of Texas at El Paso.

Mr. Escudero is president and chief executive officer of Sierra Finance and vice president and chief financial officer of C&R Distributing. He serves on several boards including the Texas State Securities Board, Medical Center of the Americas Foundation, YWCA Foundation of El Paso and the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Escudero graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. His professional affiliations include the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants and its local chapter.

Dr. Schoephoerster is dean of the University of Texas at El Paso College of Engineering where he is responsible for 17 degree programs and six departments with $15 million in research funding. He also maintains an active research program in the area of biofluid mechanics and cardiovascular devices with a major focus on cardiac applications. Dr. Schoephoerster attended the University of Iowa where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering, as well as master’s and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering.