For PECO to be able to meet its various customer and community commitments, Jose Aguirre plays a significant role. 

As the government & external affairs manager at PECO for the City of Philadelphia, Aguirre interacts with all entities of the city. 

This includes private and public agencies, and elected officials, as well as stakeholders, including Philadelphia City Council, the Mayor’s Office, the Philadelphia Energy Authority, the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management, Philadelphia Gas Works, the Philadelphia Water Department and more, in addition to its hundreds of thousands of customers.

Aguirre is responsible for making sure that all individual needs are met and initiatives from both perspectives align. 

In his role, he is able to share and provide the information and resources that the city agencies and customers may need, with the understanding that needs may differ between one area of the city and another. 

PECO reaches its diverse customer base by utilizing multiple communication platforms and languages including: advertising, broadcast and radio media outlets, as well as social media. Through this outreach, PECO shares its bill relief options, customer assistance programs, and energy efficiency tips. 

Working with all these different agencies, as well as the diverse communities within the city has taught Aguirre a valuable lesson.

“What I’ve learned is ... although we have different cultures and different backgrounds, at the end of the day, everyone is looking for the same thing,” he said.

Aguirre noted that from a business perspective, everyone is looking for success and the resources necessary to succeed, while residential customers are often looking for clear and direct information, in addition to the fundamental cause of keeping their electricity and gas services active.

Beyond the support of local organizations and customers, PECO also shares resources and provides aid abroad. 

In collaboration with Councilwoman Maria Quiñones Sánchez, PECO donated a total of $50,000 to the Red Cross of Eastern Pennsylvania and the Salvation Army of Greater Philadelphia to help provide aid to those in need as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and the recent earthquakes in Mexico. 

Furthermore, PECO also sent crews and equipment to Puerto Rico, such as inflatable solar lights, to assist in their restoration of power.

This partnership came about while Aguirre was president of PECO’s Latin American ERG, OLE (Organization of Latinos at Exelon). He was instrumental in ensuring those who were impacted by the natural disasters received the much-needed aid. 

“I am fortunate that I am in the position that I am in right now where I’m able to impact people’s lives directly,” said Aguirre.  

Aguirre is appreciative of the fact that he and PECO share the same mentality in helping make a positive impact on as many people’s lives as possible. It’s that shared principle that has made both his employment with PECO and interaction with the City all the more fruitful.

All in all, Aguirre serves as a powerful voice for both PECO and the larger Philadelphia community and it’s a role he said is a great honor for him to hold.