Margie Salazar ’97

Margie Salazar ’97 is the first female CEO of FirstLight Federal Credit Union.

What started as a job to support herself financially as a UTEP student turned into a glass ceiling-shattering opportunity of a lifetime.

Margie earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Management from UTEP in 1997, building a foundation of business knowledge and savvy that would help her move up from teller to Vice President of Retail Operations, Vice President of Lending, Executive Vice President of Operations, Chief Financial Officer, and finally CEO.

As the first female CEO in the institution’s history, she has shattered the glass ceiling and serves as inspiration for women moving up in businesses in El Paso and beyond. Salazar took her education and experience from UTEP and used it to make El Paso history.

“I’m very grateful to UTEP for the scholarship they gave me all those years ago when I was a high school student,” she said. “My goal at the time was to be the first person to graduate from college in my family, and I never imagined I would be where I am today. It was the beginning of this really rewarding journey that led me to this position.”