Joe Alcantar, Jr. will tell you he loves El Paso. He was born and raised here, after all. Joe Alcantar, Sr. had built a good business as a customs broker. Young Joe grew up around the business, and worked there after high school, and while he attended UTEP.

In 1973 Brown, Alcantar & Brown hit a difficult time. A partner left and went into business to compete against the company. As soon as he was old enough, Joe Junior left the university and became a full-time licensed customs broker. "I saw that my father needed help, so I made my commitment to him, to my family," said Alcantar. "I did it for the all the right reasons, and I have enjoyed my career."

Joe and his wife, Kim, have always made family their priority. They have four children, one of whom is from Russia. The Alcantars adopted Iliana when she was eight years old.

As the business grew, Joe Alcantar, Jr. became involved in his industry. He was a founding member of the El Paso World Trade Center, a member of the El Paso Customs Brokers Association, and the El Paso Foreign Trade Association. "Those opportunities," remembers Mr. Alcantar, "helped me step back and look at the bigger picture." The bigger picture, as Joe saw it, was about getting involved in the community at large. In 1994, Mr. Alcantar began his service on the board of directors of the El Paso Community Foundation, and eventually served as chairman. "I believe it reinforced my love for El Paso," said Alcantar. He started the Jose and Olga Alcantar Family Fund in honor of his parents, and became involved in community projects ranging from Waterworks, which assists families in the colonias to access clean water, to the restoration of the Plaza Theatre.

"I had one of my first dates at the Plaza Theatre. It was December, 1969, and we saw a movie and strolled under the lights at San Jacinto Plaza," said Alcantar. "I want to take my kids to the theatre, and experience what I did as a child."

Joe Alcantar, Jr.'s Great Gift to El Paso is his commitment to the city where he was born and raised. His service to El Paso, through the El Paso Community Foundation, will benefit his children—and all of ours—for generations to come.