Our Team

Executive Board

Professionals dedicated to empowering their community through educational events, professional development workshops, community service, and social events.

Elany Saavedra

Elany Saavedra obtained her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida in 2017 and 2018. Elany is a Navigation Engineer at The Boeing Company. In this role, she develops and uses models and simulation tools to predict navigation performance. She defines requirements for implementing navigation algorithms in software and also supports flight tests, analyzes flight test data, and writes system performance reports. She has increasingly become involved in the community. She is an active member of SWE and SHPE and is actively involved in STEM outreach. She currently leads the SWE Social/Networking Committee where she creates opportunities for women engineers to connect and currently serves as President for the SHPE St. Louis Gateway Professional Chapter.

Benneth Perez

Benneth is a Wire Harness Design & Installations Engineer at Boeing. He joined Boeing in 2019 down in San Antonio, TX supporting the C-17 aircraft fleet. Benneth earned a B.S in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas San Antonio and is currently pursuing a M.S in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Central Florida. He has supported several programs while at Boeing including the International Space Station, Satellites, Exploration Upper Stage, Boeing Research & Technology, Executive Aircraft, and several proprietary missile and defense programs. Benneth is a leader of Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), STEM advocacy, mentorship, and helping Hispanic/Latinos enter careers in aerospace. He currently serves on the Enterprise Board of the Hispanic focused ERG within Boeing and hopes to continue his efforts in supporting students across the US.

Gerardo Garza

Gerardo as Treasurer oversees all financial affairs for the SHPE St. Louis Gateway Professional Chapter. Originally from Pharr, Texas, he moved to St. Louis in 2018 for employment at The Boeing Company. He is currently a systems engineer supporting the MQ-25 program, a carrier-based unmanned aircraft system. Through this role he conducts requirements management, air vehicle configuration management, and software configuration management. Prior to this role Gerardo spent 6 years as a structural analysis engineer in multiple statements of work including: a proprietary effort in Phantom Works, EA-18G Growler, MQ-25, and Boeing Research & Technology (BR&T) additive manufacturing focus program. Gerardo received a B.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University and a M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis.

Outside of his career, Gerardo is a committee member for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Metropolitan St. Louis’ Jovenes Profesionales initiative. And as a dedicated SHPE leader, he continues to make a positive influence in the St. Louis community through selfless service, promoting STEM, and providing mentorship to students.

Xorge Hernández

My name is Xorge Hernández, and I am a Systems Engineer for Land Systems DRS. I have a degree in Biomedical Engineering from Saint Louis University which I obtained in 2020. I worked for a couple of medical device companies during the Covid pandemic. I attended the University of Notre Dame and obtained a master’s degree from their Engineering, Science and Technology Entrepreneurship program in 2023. I moved back to St. Louis in September of that year after having worked in a startup project. I am always excited to help in my communities.

Dr. Abigail Avila

Abigail obtained her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, specializing in biomaterials for bone tissue engineering from Saint Louis University in Saint Louis, MO. Her experience includes 1.5 years in research and development at Procter and Gamble in Corporate Functions, where she developed a strong background in polymer chemistry, sustainable packaging engineering, and project management. She is currently working at Bayer in the Crop Science Division in St. Louis, MO, developing new formulations for selective herbicide formulations, utilizing digital tools in the formulation development process, and contributing to the scaling up and commercialization of new products.

Angel Galeana

Angel Galeana graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale with a B.A. in Computer Science. He currently supports Government Training Software Engineering at Boeing as a Software Engineer where he develops varies web-based applications. Angel has been a member of SHPE since college.

Erika Dupond

Erika is a Mass Properties Engineer at Boeing. She joined Boeing in St. Louis, MO in 2024 supporting the F-15, F-18, and MQ-25 programs. Originally from Austin, TX, Erika has a B.S. in Industrial Engineering degree and a minor in Math from Texas A&M University-Commerce. After college, she worked in Mass Properties Engineering and in Forecast Engineering Planning at L3Harris Technologies in North Texas. In her career, she has worked on programs such as ARES and King Airs. She did thorough and accurate weight-and-balance analysis and written engineering reports to stay within center of gravity limits. She has also assisted with aircraft weighings and inventories. Outside of work, she has volunteered for the Early Career Professionals group at L3Harris and was a member of Toastmasters International Club. In college, she was a member of SHPE and is excited to be on the Enterprise Board in the St. Louis chapter. In her free time, she enjoys learning about data science, going to many Latin and rock concerts, and likes to play with her cat, Smokey.

Deni Avelar

Deni Avelar, a Staff Analyst at Boeing, brings her passion for community engagement and leadership expertise to every project. She has a diverse background, from chartering a school for intentionally excluded students to serving as a Budget Analyst for Space Force. Since 2022, Avelar has been an active SHPE member, holding roles such as VP of Corporate Relations and VP of Operations at the SHPE Colorado Professional Chapter. Deni is delighted to serve as Director of the SHPEtinas Program to support women in STEM and helped them reach their next goal.

A first-generation college student, Deni holds a B.A. in International Relations with a concentration in Economic Policy, and she is pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science at National University, driven by her passion for securing digital landscapes. Outside of work and studies, Avelar enjoys the outdoors and volunteers at STEM events. Her dedication to community change stems from her desire to ensure future generations have the opportunities she didn’t access to.

Jesus Torres

Originally from Jalisco, Mexico, Jesus Torres earned a B.A in Mathematics, Spanish, and Computational Math & Technology from Westminster College in Fulton, MO in 2020 and an applied B.Sc. in Systems Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, MO in 2022. Jesus is currently an Infrastructure Design Engineer at Mastercard, working with a team responsible for the planning, building, and architectural design of applications running within the infrastructure of Mastercard. He joined Mastercard in 2022 through the Mastercard Launch Program and is currently part of Mastercard’s Latin BRG committee. Jesus is always looking for opportunities and ways to get involved within the community and ways to increase Hispanic representation in STEM.