“When you look at the group of incredibly talented people chosen, it’s extremely humbling just to be chosen,” the 36-year-old president and CEO of American Electric Power Texas says, smiling shyly.

As president, he oversees operations for AEP throughout Central and North Texas, a service area which includes more than 850,000 customers. Vegas joined the company in 2005 and held leadership positions in Information Technology and Finance, most recently serving as the director of strategic planning.

AEP is among the nation’s largest generators of electricity owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, according to the utility’s Web site.

Vegas, who graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, also manages a staff of 1,800 people across the state, including a governmental affairs staff in Austin and 500 employees in Corpus Christi, headquarters for AEP Texas.

“My favorite part of my job is advocating on behalf of our business, whether it’s with our employees or customers,” he says. “Of course, this means traveling to the many cities across Texas we serve. I believe AEP provides a critical service, so visiting the cities we serve and learning firsthand about the infrastructure needs in each community is important.”

For a man who has lived in Corpus Christi a mere 18 months, he’s been tirelessly immersing himself in the community that has welcomed him with open arms. Within a few months of moving to the city, he has already joined the boards of the U.S.S. Lexington Museum on the Bay, Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation and United Way of the Coastal Bend.

He’s also actively involved with St. James Episcopal School, the P-16 Council and the Del Mar College Foundation.

“Education is the path for economic success in our community and it’s an area I encourage everyone to be an active participant,” he adds.

Juggling his community involvement with his demanding job as president and chief operating officer for AEP Texas might be difficult for anybody. But not for Vegas: it’s a challenge that enables him to thrive in everything he does.

Add the challenges of keeping up with a growing family that includes his wife, Jennifer, and their three small children under age 9 and Vegas has made the past year-and- a half both productive and fulfilling.

Make no mistake, Vegas is clear about his priorities in life.

“My family is my first priority. I try hard to be available for those school plays at 10 a.m. in the middle of the week,” he says. “I believe you can manage family, work and community activities. You just have to maintain a clear set of priorities. Otherwise, you’ll just get pulled into a million different directions and be less effective at everything.”

Born in Lima, Peru, Vegas moved around the world for most of his childhood, including Venezuela and moved from Caracas to Fort Wayne, Ind., at age 11.

“It was quite a culture shock,” he says. “I was surprised by how much smaller the city was, and in many ways, much less cosmopolitan than Caracas. … I’ve lived in over a dozen cities all around the world and I can honestly say the reception I’ve received from the people in Corpus Christi has been the warmest. It has truly been incredible.”

Relocating from city to city turned out to be a great learning experience for him, and it shaped the way he conducts business.

“More than anything it has taught adaptability and to approach every situation with an open mind,” Vegas says. “The diversity in people and cultures that I grew up with helped me to value diversity and not only from an ethnic point of view, but from a diversity in thinking, background and experience.”

Catrina Wilson, president and chief executive officer of the United Way of the Coastal Bend, says the admiration is definitely mutual.

“He is an amazing individual who has been a real asset to us as a member of our board of directors,” Wilson says. “Our board members are responsible for truly guiding our organization and deciding what are the greatest needs in our community. Pablo brings a great sense of compassion and reasoning to the United Way, combined with astute management skills and his thoughtfulness. He is simply remarkable.”

His commitment and passion obviously extend beyond his loyalty to his company. His vision for the success of AEP Texas includes an economically prosperous Corpus Christi.

“I believe in Corpus Christi. I just think we need a unified and common vision for how the city needs to grow,” Vegas says. “Everyone sees it from their perspective. This is why I see projects like Bold Future for the Coastal Bend as integral to the success of the entire Coastal Bend community, so I’m chairing the Vibrant Economy sub-committee. We really need to sit down and figure out how we are going to build a sustainable, vibrant economy for ourselves and for our children.”