After four decades of advocating for and recognizing El Paso women, the El Paso Commission for Women is adding something new next month: a full-day conference packed with workshops, professional networking, and a keynote from the police department's highest-ranking woman. The inaugural event, called The Power Within: Women Shaping the Future, is set for Saturday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the EPCC Administrative Service Center Auditorium on Viscount Boulevard.
The shift represents a notable change for an organization that has spent nearly 40 years advocating for and recognizing El Paso women, according to KVIA. The commission was officially established in January 1985, inspired in part by President John F. Kennedy's 1961 executive order creating the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women, and it deliberately chose to operate independently of city or county government to keep its mandate community-driven, according to the El Paso Commission for Women. In 1990, the group launched its annual El Paso Women's Hall of Fame induction banquet — a tradition that has recognized past honorees including U.S. Representative Veronica Escobar and former El Paso Mayor Suzie Azar, per the commission's own history.
A Lineup Built Around Local Leadership
The conference's theme, Inspire. Empower. Connect. Lead. Together We Rise, sets the tone for a slate of sessions built around practical guidance, professional connections, and what organizers describe as inspiring and meaningful sessions for attendees, per the station's report. Keynote duties fall to Executive Assistant Chief Zina Silva, the highest-ranking female officer in the El Paso Police Department, who will speak on leadership and law enforcement. Silva joined the force in 1995 as part of the first recruit class to accept applicants over age 29, according to KVIA.
Silva's leadership role has stayed visible in recent weeks. Earlier this month, she co-led a public safety community meeting with Police Chief Peter Pacillas, according to the City of El Paso.
Also on the agenda is Kristen Daugherty, CEO of Emergence Health Network, El Paso County's local mental health and intellectual disability authority, according to OPEN MINDS. At the conference she is expected to promote mental health awareness, per the seed report. Philosophy professor Dr. Manuela Alejandra Gomez will address the theme of redefining education; Gomez earned her Ph.D. from UTEP in 2023, was inducted into the El Paso Women's Hall of Fame in 2024, and was named a 2022 Piper Professor for the State of Texas, according to The Prospector. Cynthia D. Horton will present a session titled The Woman in the Glass, and lunch is included for attendees.
A Closet Drive Tied to Workforce Readiness
Attendees are also encouraged to donate gently used business clothing to the EPCC Campus Closet, which will help provide professional attire for job interviews, internships, and workplace use. The closet began as a 2024 EPCC Leadership Academy project, according to El Paso Community College.
Registration for the conference costs $20 per person, with the deadline having passed on September 15. Payment and registration details had been available through the event flyer's QR code or at elpasocommissionforwomen.org, per the original report.
Broader Momentum for Women-Focused Programming
The conference also lands amid a broader wave of women's gatherings in the Borderland. The three-day ONE Conference was scheduled for Sept. 16–18 at Abundant Church East under the theme She Holds the Key, as Hoodline previously reported.
Looking Ahead to the 2027 Hall of Fame
Separately, the El Paso Commission for Women is now accepting nominations for the 2027 Women's Hall of Fame, which honors women whose contributions have influenced the El Paso community through civic leadership, education, professional careers, and military service. The nomination deadline is December 2026, with induction set for April 3, 2027, according to the seed report.
