Special to the NEWS
The South Texas Emergency Care Foundation (STEC) Board of Directors is promoting longtime Deputy Executive Director Leonard Callier to Executive Director.
Callier has served the Foundation since 1986 and brings four decades of institutional knowledge, experience, and commitment. His promotion reflects his longstanding service to STEC and its mission throughout South Texas, according to an STEC press release.
“It has been a privilege to know and work with Leonard throughout the many years I have been associated with STEC,” said Jo Rae Wagner, President. “I am proud to see him take on this leadership role and confident in the experience and dedication he brings to the Foundation.”
Callier succeeds William R. Aston, who will retire on October 22, 2026, following more than four decades of service to the Foundation. Aston’s leadership has played an important role in STEC’s growth and continued work, and the Board of Directors sincerely appreciates his many years of dedication and service, according to the press release.
As STEC Executive Director, Callier will lead the Foundation’s ongoing efforts to support emergency medical care and strengthen its service to communities throughout South Texas.
The STEC Board of Directors also congratulated Callier on his promotion and looks forward to his leadership in the Foundation’s next chapter.
As previously reported by the NEWS, the STEC Board of Directors recently announced Aston’s retirement.
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 a STEC press release announcing his retirement.
What began as a community-based effort in Harlingen expanded to serve communities throughout the Rio Grande Valley, including San Benito and the 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.
Today, STEC continues its dedication to supporting emergency medical care and strengthening emergency care resources for communities throughout South Texas.