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Devine High School juniors Melenie Cardenas, Esteban Mendoza, and Margarita Vizcarra have teamed up this year for their STAR (Students Taking Action with Recognition) event in FCCLA. They have two goals: to raise awareness about domestic violence and to educate their community.
Vizcarra stated, “Our project, Break the Cycle, can be found on Instagram at @BREAK_THE_CYCLE_AND_SPEAK_UP, where we share updates on everything we are doing for our FCCLA project. We would greatly appreciate your support with a follow — we have already reached 227 followers, and every new supporter helps us spread awareness.”
The team would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our local sports nutrition store,
KickStart Nutrition (kickstartnutrition_devine), for helping them spread awareness and collaborating with them by offering purple drinks during No Violence November (November 17–30, 2025). Thanks to this partnership, 100 purple beverages were sold to support their cause.
They also sincerely thank Devine Middle School for allowing them to present to the 8th-grade students on December 11, 2025, where they discussed domestic violence and the importance of knowing right from wrong. The trio presented to 120 students, making this an impactful experience for the team. They will be presenting to Mrs. Outlaw’s FCS classes in January and doing an activity where students receive a handout listing five things they could say to someone experiencing domestic violence.
Thanks to these collaborations, the group has successfully completed two major events and is planning additional ones for the Spring semester.

Internal promotions and structural shifts ensure a seamless transfer of knowledge
(Hondo, Texas) – 1/12/2026 – Medina Electric Cooperative announces a strategic reorganization of its leadership team and the appointment of a new Chief Member Relations Officer, effective January 2. These changes are driven by a commitment to operational excellence and a strategic realignment of departments to better serve the cooperative’s growing membership following several key retirements.
New Chief Member Relations Officer Appointed
Leading a new team is Katie Kothmann Haby, who has been promoted to the recently created role of Chief Member Relations Officer. A veteran of the utility industry with 16 years of experience, Haby has spent the last 13 years at Medina EC, demonstrating a deep understanding of the cooperative’s mission and its members’ needs.
Under this new structure, communications, business development and member services will be consolidated under Haby’s leadership. This move is designed to streamline member touchpoints and ensure a cohesive strategy for community engagement and growth.
Strategic Departmental Realignment
To further optimize operations and prepare for the future, Medina EC is realigning several key internal functions.
Human Resources will move under the Chief Financial Officer, linking workforce development with long-term fiscal planning.
Safety will transition under the engineering department to further integrate safety-first protocols into technical workflows.
Facilities will move under operations, aligning physical asset management with field activities.
Honoring a Legacy of Service
The reorganization comes as Patti Taylor, Chief Administrative Officer, prepares for retirement after a distinguished 27-year career with Medina EC. Taylor is joined by several other dedicated team members also retiring this year; collectively these individuals represent over 176 years of industry knowledge and service to our members. Additionally, the cooperative is pleased to announce that Armando Castillo has been promoted to Manager of Southern Region Operations, filling a vacancy created by a concurrent retirement in the field.
“While it is bittersweet to see long-time leaders like Patti move into a well-deserved retirement after nearly three decades of service, we are incredibly excited about the future of Medina EC,” said Trey Grebe, CEO. “By promoting proven internal talent like Katie and Armando, and strategically grouping our departments, we are ensuring that our cooperative remains agile, efficient, and—above all—dedicated to the members we serve.”
Looking Ahead
These leadership changes represent Medina EC’s proactive approach to a changing energy landscape. By aligning member-facing departments under a single chief officer and integrating support services like HR and safety into core operational hubs, the cooperative is positioned for continued stability and enhanced service delivery in the new year.

Medina County Fire/EMS released the year-end report which includes service for ESD1, ESD4, ESD2 and ESD6.
In total, Medina County Fire/EMS responded to 3,183 emergencies. Of the total 3,183 calls, 60 were regarding grass/brush fires, 33 concerning residential fires, and 40 responding to vehicle/RV/machinery fires. With that, the departments average response time was 8.1 minutes.
ESD1, requested and we began providing transport EMS on May 30, 2025, responded to 2,110 total calls for the year. Of those calls, 1,422 were EMS responses excluding MVC’s. There were 688 Fire calls including MVC’s.
ESD2, requested, and we began providing fire response on October 1, 2025, responded to 66 fire calls.
ESD4, requested and we began providing transport EMS on October 31, 2025, responded to 390 total EMS calls.
ESD6, the department responded to 615 total calls, with 360 being fire calls including MVC’s and 255 EMS calls excluding MVC’s.
Overall, the Medina County Fire/EMS department experienced a year of significant growth through the increase of staff levels for fire/rescue and bringing the total to 4 of Medina County’s six primary ESD’s (4/6) now being covered by their personnel. (ESD1 Castroville/LaCoste area Fire/EMS, ESD2 Devine area Fire, ESD4 Devine/Natalia/part Lytle EMS area, ESD6 Hondo Fire).
Source: Medina County Fire/EMS.