The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas has appointed Kari Mitchell to the bank’s El Paso branch board and Denise Rodriguez Hernandez to the San Antonio branch board. In addition, Von Washington has been reappointed to the El Paso branch board. All three are slated to serve a three-year term ending December 31, 2025. In their role as branch board members, they will provide input on regional economic conditions as part of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy functions.
Mitchell is chair and CEO of Las Cruces Machine Manufacturing and Engineering Co. in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She is currently secretary of the board and past chair of the investment committee for the Citizens Bank of Las Cruces board of directors. Mitchell was previously vice chair of the New Mexico State University board of regents and vice chair of the board at Advance Care Hospital of Southern New Mexico. She was a founder and executive board member for the community impact organization Bridge of Southern New Mexico and was previously board chair at the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance. Mitchell has a bachelor’s degree from Adams State University and an MBA degree from the University of Houston–Clear Lake.
Hernandez is the owner of The Eatery Culinary Group, M-PRESSED Commercial Laundry Services and The Fruteria y Botañero. She also serves as vice president of development at True Flavors Catering. Hernandez is the 2022 board chair of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and is involved with Visit San Antonio, Leadership San Antonio and the San Antonio Food Bank. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of the Incarnate Word.
Washington is CEO and owner of El Paso-based IDA Technology, a technical services company. He has more than 25 years of experience in the aerospace and missile defense industry, supporting major U.S. Department of Defense programs. Washington previously served as an officer in the U.S. Army as an operations research systems analyst and as a program plans coordinator for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space THAAD Program. He serves as a board member and past chairman of the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He was also a board member of the El Paso 8(a) Government Contractors Association. Washington was named Texas’ “2018 Small Business Person of the Year for Texas” by the U.S. Small Business Administration. In 2021, he was reappointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas Commission on State Emergency Communication. Washington earned a BA degree in political science from Virginia State University. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Logistics Management College, where he studied operations research/systems.
The Dallas Fed’s El Paso and San Antonio branch boards consist of seven members—four appointed by the Dallas Fed and three by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
