I was given the opportunity to interview Alex Núñez, Senior Vice President of Governmental, External, and Regulatory Affairs at Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE). Mr. Núñez grew up in Maryland and graduated from the University of Notre Dame double-majoring in English and International/Governmental Studies and went on to graduate with a law degree from the Valparaiso University School of Law. When I asked him how his law degree helped him through life, Mr. Núñez explained how the foundations of American law and government are essential to virtually any profession and help shape the way one understands the world around them.
Mr. Núñez started his career at the Legislative Counsel in the Maryland General Assembly and discovered his passion for making an impact and preventing problems through legislation. He stayed with the Maryland General Assembly for five years, ultimately serving on the Senate Finance Committee, where he worked on legislation for all types of issues including transportation, healthcare, insurance, and energy/utilities. The turning point in his career came through the teamwork he had with one of his colleagues who he partnered with on a large energy and utilities legislation project. It was through that undertaking where Mr. Núñez was recognized for his talent in energy and utilities legislation and was offered a job by BGE (then known as Constellation Energy) as a lobbyist, advocating for BGE’s interests to the Maryland General Assembly. Mr. Núñez has been with BGE for the past twenty years and has worked his way up to his current position, Senior Vice President of Governmental, External, and Regulatory Affairs.
When I asked him about what his job entails, he first condensed it into a seemingly simple statement, that he “oversees all external affairs of BGE”. However, he expanded on that and talked about the different groups that he brings together, such as BGE’s customer groups, all of BGE’s corporate departments, the public service commission, and other interested parties such as the Maryland government. He explained why it is important for a large organization like BGE, who serves almost 1.5 million customers, to have an organization focused on external affairs. Mr. Núñez and his team make sure that the message BGE sends to all these groups is cohesive and consistent and makes sure that every interested group receives the same information and is content. His team also leads the corporate strategy, or the road map for where they want to see the company in the future. His team is essential to not only the well-being of BGE as a corporation, but to the well-being of their customers.
I ended our interview asking for any advice he had for teens now, and his biggest tip was to put effort and genuine interest in school because he views it truly as an “investment in your future in which you will reap the benefits for the rest of your life”. He described how education gives one the power to better control their future and use their power for good.
Mr. Núñez was a very interesting person to interview and talking to him convinced me to pursue a law degree after college. I would like to thank MBRT, Mr. Núñez, Ms. McCoy, and Ms. Dawson to provide me with the opportunity to interview a professional.
