EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, is looking to hire a community development regional manager based in El Paso as it continues building a controversial AI data center in Northeast El Paso.
Ana Martinez, a public policy director with Meta and an El Paso native, told KFOX14/CBS4 on Wednesday the new hire would serve as a direct link between the company and the community.
“So this person will be based out of El Paso and will be our community engagement manager that will be focused on the ongoing discussions we’re having with community stakeholders, will be helping lead our annual grants program and our free digital skills training,” Martinez said. “And more importantly, they’ll be helping build relationships with our community partners like the chambers, local schools and nonprofits.”
The hiring push comes as city leaders have been pressing for a formal community benefits agreement, aimed at addressing community concerns and pushback over the data center.
At that city council meeting in June, residents and advocates said any agreement should include stronger protections.
“We’re literally one mile away from this Meta site. And with this, we have a lot of concerns that we want to make sure are addressed,” said Cynthia Crouse of the Vista Del Norte Estates Neighborhood Association.
However, Martinez did not offer a firm commitment on whether Meta plans to sign such an agreement.
“So we’re still reviewing the final language voted out,” Martinez said. “So I can’t comment on the specifics, but what I can share is that we have worked closely and collaboratively with the city of El Paso, El Paso County, El Paso Water and El Paso Electric on our existing binding agreements. And we want to ensure that the broader El Paso community has a clear understanding of these commitments and knows we are devoted to being a good neighbor.”
Martinez said Meta chose El Paso “because of its strong workforce, great community partners and the robust infrastructure,” adding that the company remains “excited about this community’s future.”
She added that as the data center grows and construction expands, the new position would help connect Meta with community members in El Paso.
However, the data center has raised concerns among some residents about the project’s impact on local resources, including the water table.
Martinez pushed back against those criticisms, saying, “We actively work to minimize our water use. We plan to use water-efficient, closed-loop, liquid-cooled systems that recirculate the same water, and we’ll use zero water for a majority of the year.”
“More importantly, our operational water consumption is projected to be less than the amount of water consumed annually by two Gulf courses in the Southwest U.S.,” Martinez said.
The community development regional manager position has been posted on Meta’s website.
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