Federal Reserve appoints UTEP alum to regional executive role
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas has named a University of Texas at El Paso alum as the vice president and regional executive for the El Paso branch, effective May 18.
Arturo Barrio, a UTEP alumnus, will focus on building relationships with local businesses and community groups to gain greater insight into the surrounding economy, which includes West Texas and southern New Mexico, according to the Federal Reserve.
In his previous role, Barrio fostered regional partnerships and expanded UTEP’s international profile. He also served as a senior adviser to the UTEP president on Mexico and Latin America.
Arturo Barrio. Photo courtesy of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
“Arturo brings a wealth of relationships in El Paso and knowledge about the region. I look forward to his contributions to our work of listening to community leaders to gain real-time insight on the state of the regional economy,” Dallas Fed President and Chief Executive Lorie Logan said. “This grassroots work informs the Federal Reserve’s views on monetary policy, and I’m happy to welcome him to our trusted team of regional executives.”
The El Paso branch is the only Federal Reserve bank on the U.S.-Mexico border, for which Barrio will be responsible for deepening connections between the Federal Reserve and border economy leaders and experts.
Additionally, the El Paso branch is “uniquely” positioned in the Eleventh District, which covers about three-quarters of the U.S.-Mexico border and includes Texas, the top state for exports, the Federal Reserve said.
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“El Paso’s economy is driven by flows of trade and people along our southern border, making the kinds of relationships and connections Arturo will bring in his new role critical to our understanding of a transforming region,” Roberto Coronado, Dallas Fed senior vice president and senior economist, said. “I look forward to him joining our effort to strengthen our ties with communities and businesses across the district.”
Before his new role, Barrio worked for Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, overseeing economic and cooperation affairs for Mexico at the Organization of American States. As well, he chaired the City of El Paso’s Committee on Border Relations from 2018 to 2021.
Barrio also served on the Texas Advisory Committee of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and last year, he joined the Council on Foreign Relations and was selected as a Presidential Leadership Scholar.
Barrio earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master of arts in leadership studies at UTEP, according to the Federal Reserve. He also holds a second master’s degree in applied public policy from the Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas (International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies) in Madrid.
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