Loretta C. Gallaga is the new southern district projects manager for South Texas Electric Cooperative (STEC). She comes to the generation cooperative after five years as the technical services division manager for Magic Valley Electric Cooperative (MVEC), based in Mercedes.

"Gallaga's addition to the STEC staff is the result of Magic Valley Electric Cooperative's membership in STEC. She will supervise all STEC transmission and substation projects and personnel in the Rio Grande Valley," said Michael Packard, STEC general manager.

An honors graduate of Alice High School, Gallaga received a B.S. in electrical engineering from Texas A&I University in Kingsville in 1990. She subsequently worked for Calidad Electronics as the engineering manager followed by 10 years with Central Power and Light (CPL), now American Electric Power (AEP), in the Rio Grande Valley.

At CPL, Gallaga was responsible for distribution design of facilities for residential, commercial and industrial customers. She was then put in charge of distribution planning, system operations and system protection in the Rio Grande Valley.

Beginning in 2002, she worked five years for MVEC as the technical services division manager responsible for the substation and transmission system, system planning, system protection, SCADA system and specialty metering.

Loretta and Roberto Gallaga, who have been married for 16 years, have two children, Robby and Angelica. She enjoys playing golf and spending time with family.

STEC, organized in 1944, generates electric power for Jackson, Karnes, Magic Valley, Medina, Nueces, San Patricio, Victoria and Wharton County electric cooperatives. The co-op is based in Nursery.