Special to the NEWS
HARLINGEN—The South Texas Emergency Care Foundation (STEC) Board of Directors announced the retirement of longtime Executive Director William “Bill” Aston, whose career in emergency medical services has spanned more than five decades and whose leadership has helped shape emergency medical care in South Texas.
Aston has been a fixture in emergency medical services since the early days of modern EMS in the Rio Grande Valley.
He was among the first paramedics to staff a Mobile Intensive Care Unit ambulance in South Texas and was named EMS Director of the Year by the Texas Department of Health in 1986. In 2002, the Texas Ambulance Association honored Aston with the Joe B. Brown Memorial Humanitarian Award for his service to emergency medical care.
Most recently, in 2025, Aston was selected for the inaugural class of the Texas EMS Hall of Fame, recognizing individuals whose careers and contributions have helped shape and advance emergency medical services across the state.
Throughout his tenure with STEC, Aston helped guide the growth of an organization that began providing service in 1979 as the first paramedic-level emergency medical service in Deep South Texas, according to STEC press release announcing his retirement.
What began as a community-based effort in Harlingen expanded to serve communities across the Rio Grande Valley, including San Benito and surrounding areas.
Today, STEC provides emergency and nonemergency ground ambulance services throughout Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy counties, as well as fixed-wing medical transportation nationwide.
“Bill Aston has dedicated his professional life to serving others and strengthening emergency medical care in our region,” said Jo Wagner, President of the STEC Board of Directors. “His impact extends far beyond the organization he has led. Generations of EMS professionals, first responders, healthcare partners, and, most importantly, the countless patients and families served by STEC have benefited from his leadership and commitment to high-quality emergency care.”
“It has been an incredible privilege to spend my career serving the people of South Texas and working alongside so many dedicated EMS professionals,” Aston said. “I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished together and grateful to the employees, Board members, community partners, and first responders who have supported STEC over the years. I leave knowing the organization is well positioned to continue serving our communities for many years to come.”
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, we express our sincere appreciation to Bill for his extraordinary years of service,” Wagner said. “His retirement marks the end of a remarkable chapter for STEC, and we wish him and his family the very best as he begins this next chapter.”
The STEC Board of Directors will begin a process to identify the organization’s next executive director. The press release said it will announce additional information about the leadership transition and selection process as it becomes available.
Throughout the transition, STEC will continue operating without interruption and remain focused on providing high-quality emergency medical services to the communities it serves, according to the press release.
About South Texas Emergency Care Foundation
South Texas Emergency Care Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit, community-based emergency medical services organization, was founded in 1979.
STEC provides emergency and nonemergency ground ambulance services throughout the Rio Grande Valley and fixed-wing medical transportation services nationwide.