2023 panelist lineup
We've gathered some of the top movers and shakers in our community to share their knowledge and experiences with the next generation of doers.
intentional philanthropy panel
About Deborah A. Zuloaga
Deborah A. Zuloaga has served as United Way of El Paso County’s President & CEO for more than 25 years. Zuloaga, an El Paso native, earned a bachelor's of business administration in marketing from the University of North Texas. She spent 11 years in Washington, D.C., from 1983 to 1994, during the Reagan and Clinton administrations, serving as deputy associate director of presidential personnel at the White House and director, Federal Advisory Committee Office at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
About Tracy J. Yellen
Tracy J. Yellen is the Chief Executive Officer of the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, which includes the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, Fundacion Paso del Norte para la Salud y Bienestar, El Paso Giving Day and a growing community of philanthropy. Prior to joining the Foundations in 2013, Tracy served as Managing Partner of MJD & Associates, Campaign Director for the World YWCA Global Campaign, Development Director for the YWCA El Paso Del Norte Region, Public Outreach Director for the Border Environment Cooperation Commission, and Program Coordinator in the Office of Border Affairs for the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission. Tracy is active in the El Paso community. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas El Paso Branch, Borderplex Alliance, PHIX Health Information Exchange, Fundacion Paso del Norte, and ROICOM. She was previously on the boards of the University Medical Center of El Paso, YWCA El Paso Del Norte Region, Women’s Fund of El Paso, Mesita Elementary, Wiggs Middle and El Paso High School PTAs, Kern Place Association, Keep El Paso Beautiful and The Johns Hopkins University. Tracy has been recognized with numerous awards including the 2014 El Paso Inc. Woman of Impact, 2014 Project Amistad Humanitarian of the Year, 2012 Association of Fundraising Professionals Executive of the Year, and 2012 Nolan Richardson Charities Elaine Pharr Woman of the Year. Tracy earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Studies from The Johns Hopkins University and Masters in Public Administration from the University of Texas at El Paso. She is a former college basketball player and marathon runner. Tracy is married to Steve Yellen and has two children.
About Linda Wolfe
Linda Wolfe spent 23 years in the armed forces, the latter 16 lending her musical talent to lead the military band and chorus. After countless moves, deployments, and performances all over the world, Wolfe and her family made El Paso their home and in 2017 she retired from the US Army. Wolfe's retirement was spurred in part by the success of her son, multi-platinum selling global superstar Khalid. In response to his success, a new goal was becoming a reality for Wolfe and Khalid - the realization of a lifelong dream to merge their heart for service with their passion for music. The Great Khalid Foundation launched in May 2019 and has since hosted five life-changing initiatives in the community of El Paso with a sixth in the works. Wolfe serves as the Executive Director and oversees the day-to-day activities of her son's namesake non-profit organization.
About Eric Pearson
Eric Pearson is the president and CEO of the El Paso Community Foundation. He is a native El Pasoan who came up through public schools and the University of Texas at El Paso, and worked for about 20 years in broadcast journalism and media prior to joining the El Paso Community Foundation in 2003. Eric has been CEO since 2011; he has worked to engage the El Paso Community Foundation in solid leadership projects. Grants, community convening, and leadership projects define the El Paso Community Foundation. The Foundation has grown since 1977 to approximately $210 million in assets, and in the process has given more than $249 million in charitable gifts and projects to West Texas, Southern New Mexico and northern Mexico.
intentional balance panel
About Alejandro Yu
Alejandro Yu is a University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) graduate and works as Raiz Federal Credit Union’s Vice President of Marketing. Alejandro was born in El Paso but raised in both Ciudad Juarez and El Paso. He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and International Business from UTEP in 2008, and earned both a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s in Public Administration from UTEP in 2011. Alejandro serves on United Way of El Paso County’s board of directors, the Young Leaders Society’s advisory board, and has served on numerous nonprofit boards.
About Gabriela Gallegos
Gabriela Gallegos is an attorney and Associate Professor at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health in the Department of Management, Policy and Community Health. She is also President and founder of Race El Paso. Gabriela earned her Bachelor of Arts at Cornell University. At University of California – Berkeley, she earned a Masters in Public Policy and a law degree. Gabriela founded Race El Paso in late 2009 with the aim to develop a culture of health and active living in El Paso, focusing on beginners and athlete education to encourage goal setting and active lifestyles. Race El Paso’s first event, Eagle in the Sun Triathlon, debuted in 2010 to a sell-out crowd. Race El Paso now offers 6 annual running and multisport events, including the all-female Mighty Mujer Triathlon, which in 2018 expanded into a series with races in El Paso, Tucson, Miami and Austin. The event has introduced thousands of women to their first triathlon and has served as a gateway for active living and ongoing participation in multisport events of all distances. At UTHealth Houston, Gabriela’s work centers on policies and programs related to healthy eating and active living. She leads the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of El Paso County’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative. In addition to food access, her research investigates how to motivate women of color to engage in regular physical activity. She teaches courses in leadership, management, law, and policy. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for USA Triathlon and the Executive Boards for Americas Triathlon and World Triathlon. Americas Triathlon is the continental confederation that includes national federations from North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean. World Triathlon is the international governing body for the sport of Triathlon and all related multisports. In addition, she sits on the governing board for The Hospitals of Providence downtown El Paso campuses. In 2023, Gabriela received USA Triathlon’s Heart of a Race Director award for innovation for her work on Mighty Mujer Triathlon. She was named a Woman of Impact by El Paso, Inc. in 2020, and she was inducted into the El Paso Women’s Hall of Fame for contributions in Sports & Athletics in 2018. Gabriela regularly speaks at endurance sports conferences, and she has appeared as a guest on endurance sports podcasts to speak about pandemic-related challenges, marketing strategies, and advancing racial diversity in the sport.
About Brad Taylor
Since his arrival in the Sun City, Taylor has witnessed the groundbreaking of Southwest University Park, helped build the front office staff, and led the charge as the Chihuahuas successfully launched their brand on October 22, 2013. Under Taylor’s guidance, the Chihuahuas have become the top selling merchandise brand in Minor League Baseball (MiLB), a feat that includes the top social media ranking (more than 275K followers across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn & YouTube) out of 120 teams. During the 2014 inaugural campaign, the Chihuahuas garnered national attention for their logo, merchandise, promotions and attendance. The Chihuahuas’ Bark at the Park Promotion was named MiLB’s Promotion of the Year (the second time in Taylor’s career; Bowling Green Hot Rods, 2009) and raised more than $20,000 for local animal groups. Southwest University Park was also named the 2014 Ballpark of the Year by Ballpark Digest and Baseballparks.com. With the success of the Chihuahuas inaugural season, Taylor was named a Pacific Coast League Executive of the Year finalist in 2014. Taylor was again a finalist for the PCL Executive of the year award in 2017 and 2019. Taylor has been instrumental in Southwest University Park’s success as one of El Paso’s premier venues. Since its opening, the ballpark has been home to three professional international exhibition soccer matches, IBF Featherweight Boxing, the El Paso Marathon, the 2015 Gildan Triple-A Baseball National Championship game, Way Out West Country Music Festival, the 2019 Triple-A Baseball All-Star game and Home Run Derby and the 2019 Innovator’s Summit. The ballpark has also been a venue for concerts, weddings, business conferences and expos, 5K community races, high school baseball games and company galas. As Senior Vice President for MountainStar Sports Group, Taylor assisted in hiring the El Paso Locomotive FC front office staff, helps supervise the sales and marketing efforts, team branding and facility enhancements and improvements at Southwest University Park to accommodate USL soccer. Taylor currently serves on the El Paso Chamber Board of Directors as the Chair for 2023, the Hospitals of Providence Children’s Hospital Board of Directors, the Border Youth Athletic Association Board of Directors, the Sun Bowl Advisory Board, the Downtown Management District (DMD) Board of Directors, The GECU Foundation Board, and the United Way Board of Directors. Taylor received a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from Randolph-Macon College (Ashland, VA), where he played baseball for four years as a second baseman, serving as team co-captain his senior year. Entering his 29th season in professional baseball, Taylor is a native of Fairfax, Va. Taylor and his wife Jennifer have two sons, Braxton and Parker.
About Isidro Torres
Isidro is a proud born and raised El Pasoan. He received his BA in Organizational and Corporate Communication (2017) and MBA (2020) from the University of Texas at El Paso. He began his time with NAMI El Paso in 2015 as a volunteer working on the website and other small projects. Having seen the impact stigma and the machismo culture has on mental health, he found a deep passion for the mission. He has held various roles within the organization since joining such as a Board Member, Outreach and Fundraising Coordinator, and Director of Outreach and Fundraising. He now proudly serves as the Executive Director. He is committed and dedicated in working alongside the board, staff, and wonderful volunteers to excelling mental health education awareness, support, and advocacy across the region.