Former PRT exec Escudero named new TRB member

Gloria Escudero-Morales, sister of Port Authority Executive Director Alberto Escudero, has been named associate member of the Telecommunications Regulatory Board, succeeding outgoing member Vicente Aguirre-Iturino, News is my Business has learned.
Her term will begin Sept. 16, once Aguirre’s 15-year tenure ends, sources told this news service.
Escudero-Morales, who worked at Puerto Rico Telephone (Claro), for 30 years, reportedly beat out three other candidates for the job, including former colleague José Arroyo, who was head of the Claro’s legal and regulatory affairs division for many years, as well as attorney Jessica Ramos and in-house TRB staffer Alexandra Fernández.
During her tenure at Claro, Escudero-Morales occupied positions in several areas, including engineering, operations, and wholesale, a source said.
“She’s a hard worker and the type of person who calls it as she sees them,” said a source who spoke to News is my Business off the record.
Escudero-Morales retired from Claro about four years ago, after which she unsuccessfully ran for a House seat under the New Progressive Party. She is a member of the Republican party, according to a roster included in the the National Federation of Republican Women’s website.
Her appointment came down from La Fortaleza in a letter signed by Gov. Luis Fortuño on Aug. 10, and reached the Senate last Friday. Her designation will now go to the Senate Banking Committee, headed by Sen. Lornna Soto, for review.
No public hearings are expected to take place as part of Escudero-Morales’ confirmation process, a Banking Committee employee said.
This is the third time since the TRB’s inception in late 1996 that a governor has designated a former PRT employee to a key position at the agency. Former TRB President Miguel Reyes retired from the carrier after 30 years, as did current President Sandra Torres.