EL PASO, TX – February 3, 2020 – The Medical Center of the Americas Foundation (MCA) is excited to announce that it has named Linda Troncoso as the new MCA Board Chair and Fredrick “Rick” Francis as the new MCA Board Vice-Chair.

Linda Troncoso has served as the President of TRE & Associates, LLC, for a little over 8 years. She currently serves as district engineer to several municipal utility districts in west Texas and provides her oversight and expertise to numerous land development projects in Texas and New Mexico. Troncoso is a native El Pasoan and is a licensed Professional Engineer with a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso, practicing engineering in Texas since 1999.

Rick Francis currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of WestStar Bank Holding Company, Inc. and Chairman and CEO of WestStar Bank. He has been a Director of WestStar Bank since 1996. Francis graduated from Texas Tech University with a BBA in Finance and is also a graduate of Texas Tech School of Banking, and the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking conducted at Southern Methodist University.

“We are thrilled to have such committed and inspired leaders at the helm of the MCA,” said Emma Schwartz, president of the MCA. “Ms. Troncoso has been heavily involved in the MCA’s developments and programs for many years, and Mr. Francis has been a leader in banking, healthcare, and education in our region also for many years. With their combined leadership, I have no doubt that the MCA will reach new heights to better serve our community through improved healthcare and a strong biomedical industry rooted on the MCA campus.”

The MCA has also brought on three new staff members in recent months to help support the administrative and programmatic objectives of the MCA. The MCA welcomed Pearl M. Ayala as their new Director of Accounting in August 2019, Xavier Cardenas as the new Director of Engineering Projects in September 2019 and Christopher Lindner as the new Senior Director of Healthcare Programs earlier this month.

Prior to joining the MCA Foundation, Pearl Ayala served as a Senior Finance Manager at the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso. Ayala is native to the El Paso region. Her experience includes over 20 years in real estate and property management accounting. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a B.B.A. in accounting from the University of Phoenix.

Xavier Cardenas has knowledge and experience in the aerospace, military, high-reliability world having worked for the Boeing Company for 35 years. He held senior leadership responsibilities in the areas of Operations Management, Project/Program Management, Finance Management, Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering, and Facilities Management. Xavier holds a degree of bachelor’s science in industrial engineering (BSIE) from the University of Texas at El Paso and a master’s in business administration (MBA) from the University of Phoenix.

Christopher Lindner began his career in healthcare when he enlisted in the Army Reserves at the age of 20. During his 28 years of military service, Lindner served in many different nursing and directing roles including Assistant Chief Nursing Officer at William Beaumont Army Medical Center (WBAMC) where he was soon promoted to Chief of Staff and Chief Operating Officer. Before coming to the MCA, Lindner attained a master’s in strategic studies from the Army War College and completed an Administrative Fellowship at Del Sol Medical Center.

Board Chair Linda Troncoso said, “I am thrilled to lead the MCA for the next two years with such a small but mighty staff executing the board’s vision. The new MCA staff members are highly qualified and will add great value to an already strong MCA team.

More information on the MCA and a full list of the MCA Foundation’s Board of Directors and Staff are available on the MCA’s website at mcamericas.org.