Novice entrepreneur opens store selling hemp-made health products

Marlene Armendariz Jessup has opened Ambary Health Southwest, a boutique, medicinal cannabis products store in the Montecillo Smart Growth community in West El Paso. The store sells cannabidiol, or CBD, oil and other products with hemp-derived cannabinoids — a chemical believed to have health benefits. The store is part of Ambary Health, an Oklahoma City company started several years ago by Jimmy Shannon. He is Armendariz's partner in the store, which opened Sept. 27. The company's hemp is grown in Colorado, and its products are made in Ambary Health's Can-Tek Labs in Oklahoma City, Jessup said.

"After trying the products myself and feeling my own health benefits, I knew I had to start selling them in El Paso," Jessup said in an email. This is the first business for Jessup, 40, an El Paso native and Coronado High School graduate. She has a business degree from Loyola University Chicago. The store is located on the ground floor of an office building at 110 Montecillo Drive, Suite A-1.

El Paso business operators get Texas Hispanic group's top 2018 awards

Yolanda Arriola, founder and chief executive officer of South​west University at El Paso, was named Texas Businesswoman of the Year, and Frank Spencer III, president and owner of Aztec Contractors, an El Paso general contractor, was named Texas Businessman of the Year by the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce, or TAMACC. El Paso Water Utilities was named TAMACC's Corporate Advocate of the Year.

The El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce was named the 2018 Large Chamber of the Year for the fifth consecutive year, and Cindy Ramos-Davidson, El Paso Hispanic Chamber chief executive officer, was the first recipient of the Joe M. Rodriguez Leadership Award for her forward-thinking and dedication to the chamber and its business members. The awards were given at TAMACC's annual convention Sept. 6-8 in San Marcos, Texas.

First National 1870 bank hires regional president

Ernesto Avila is the new regional president for First National 1870 bank's El Paso and Las Cruces markets. First National 1870, a division of Denver-based Sunflower Bank, has three branches in El Paso, three branches in Las Cruces, nine branches in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and one branch in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Avila has 20 years of banking experience, including about seven years with El Paso-based Capital Bank, which merged with Sunflower Bank in June 2017. He was senior vice president and commercial relationship manager at First National 1870 until March 2018, when he left to be a consultant for an El Paso business.

Housing authority spokesman moves to El Paso Electric

Javier Camacho has been hired as public relations specialist at El Paso Electric. He formerly was public information and government relations officer at the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso. Camacho returned to El Paso in 2013 to be a public affairs coordinator for the city of El Paso. He has a degree in political science and education from Swarthmore College.

Telepsychiatry specialist opens new El Paso psychiatry practice

Dr. Laura Adler has opened a new psychiatry practice in West El Paso with in-office and telepsychiatry services. Adler most recently has been a telepsychiatrist, based in El Paso, for Iris Telehealth, an Austin telepsychiatry service. She worked a year for Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso as a hospital and emergency room psychiatrist, and also headed Texas Tech's mental-health assistance program for employees.

She grew up in Farmington, New Mexico, and received her medical degree from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. She did her four-year residency training in psychiatry at New York University and Stanford University. Adler's Ocotillo Wellness Psychiatry will offer psychiatric services for adults and adolescents, age 13 years and older. Her office is at 7001 Westwind Drive, Suite 120.

Western Heritage Bank hires mortgage officer

Valerie Elaine Carlos has been hired as assistant vice president-mortgage loan officer at Western Heritage Bank. She will be based in El Paso, where the Las Cruces-based bank has four branches. The native El Pasoan has been in property management and the mortgage loan business since 2010.

Texas Tech professor reappointed to Texas emergency medical services council

Dr. Alan Tyroch, professor and founding chair of surgery at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, has been reappointed to the Texas Advisory Council on Emergency Medical Services. The council works to ensure Texans receive efficient and competent emergency and trauma care. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently appointed him to a new, six-year term. Tyroch also is chief of surgery and trauma medical director at University Medical Center of El Paso.