EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — El Paso Electric announced Friday that Eliecer “Eli” Viamontes will become the company’s next president and chief executive officer, succeeding Kelly Tomblin following her retirement.

Viamontes’ appointment takes effect Nov. 9. Tomblin, who has led the utility for more than six years, will remain with El Paso Electric in an advisory role through the end of 2026 to support the transition.

Viamontes most recently served as chair, president and CEO of Entergy Texas, where he oversaw electric service for about 538,000 customers in 27 Texas counties. He brings more than two decades of electric utility experience to El Paso Electric, the utility said.

Before joining Entergy, Viamontes held leadership roles at Florida Power & Light, including senior director of labor relations and corporate safety. He also served as Entergy’s vice president of utility distribution operations.

“El Paso Electric has a strong foundation and given how exceptionally well-positioned the business is for the future, the Board believes now is the right time to implement this leadership transition,” EPE Board Chairman Ed Escudero said in a statement.

Viamontes said he is joining the utility at a pivotal time for both the company and the energy sector.

“Our service region is experiencing unprecedented growth, and utilities across the country are being asked to expand their systems at a rapid pace,” Viamontes said. “As EPE’s next CEO, my focus will be on delivering safe and reliable power that customers can count on while making the right investments to empower our region.”

Tomblin has led the utility through infrastructure modernization efforts, grid reliability work and an expansion of its renewable-energy portfolio, according to the company.

“It has been a privilege to lead EPE and work alongside our incredible team in service of our customers and communities,” Tomblin said. “I’m incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together.”

El Paso Electric serves about 465,000 customers across a 10,000-square-mile area spanning from Hatch, New Mexico, to Van Horn, Texas.

RECOMMENDED: West El Paso residents press El Paso Electric CEO on summer bill hikes

Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.