I'm Tracie Kamenoff, host of Take Five with Tracie, presented by Community Impact. I recently sat down with Brian Garcia, Region Manager for Central Regional Customer Service at Entergy Texas, to talk about the rapid growth in East Montgomery County, how Entergy is preparing its infrastructure, and why community partnerships—especially with the Chamber—are so important.

Meet Brian Garcia

Brian has been with Entergy Texas for 16 years and has worked across HR, operations, and customer service. Today he oversees the central regional customer service team, which puts him at the center of efforts to keep the lights on and plan for the future as this area grows.

Growth in East Montgomery County: Challenges and Opportunities

East Montgomery County is booming. As Brian told me, “We’re super excited about what’s going on in East Montgomery County. There’s a lot of growth,” and that growth is both an opportunity and a responsibility for a utility company. The task for Entergy is to stay ahead of development so that new neighborhoods and businesses have reliable power from day one.

That means planning, permitting, and construction all have to move quickly and efficiently. Brian summed it up: it’s a balancing act of enabling growth without slowing it down. To support that, Entergy is investing in upgrades across the region.

Upgrades on the Ground: Substations, Reconductoring and New Poles

One of the projects Brian highlighted is the new Milben substation. Projects like this, along with reconductoring (replacing older conductors with newer, higher-capacity lines) and installing new poles, are frontline work that improves capacity and reliability.

These infrastructure improvements aren’t just about serving more customers—they’re about building a grid that holds up better during extreme weather. As Brian pointed out, we live in a hurricane-prone area, so resiliency is a major motivating factor behind these upgrades.

Resiliency: Preparing for Storms and Reducing Outages

Hurricane season is a reality here, and Entergy’s work aims to reduce vulnerability and recovery time. Reconductoring and modern substations help the system resist damage and restore service faster after a storm. These investments translate into fewer and shorter outages for residents and businesses—something everyone feels the value of when severe weather hits.

Why the Chamber Matters: Partnerships That Unlock Progress

One of the clearest takeaways from my conversation with Brian was how critical community relationships are to advancing infrastructure projects. He emphasized that many projects wouldn’t move forward without the Chamber’s help to secure permissions and build local support.

“We wouldn’t be able to get permission to build all these projects had it not been for the kind of critical support of the chamber,”

Being an active Chamber member lets Entergy be more than a distant utility company—it lets them be a visible, approachable part of the community. Brian wants people to recognize Entergy as more than a logo: “I want people to think, ‘Oh, that’s Brian’s company. He’s there. He can help me out.’”

Community First: How Presence Shapes Culture

Entergy’s commitment to living and working where their customers live is not only operational—it's cultural. Brian shared that being rooted in the communities they serve helps shape a company culture where employees care about the people and places impacted by their work.

That connection influences how projects are planned and communicated, and why Entergy prioritizes visibility at local Chamber events and community gatherings.

What This Means for Residents and Local Businesses

• Improved reliability and capacity as Entergy upgrades substations, lines, and poles.
• Greater resiliency during hurricanes and severe weather thanks to modernized infrastructure.
• Smoother growth and fewer delays for new development because of coordinated planning and Chamber support.
• A local face and resource—Brian and his team are active in the community and available to engage with residents and businesses.

Final Thoughts

It was great to hear firsthand from Brian about how Entergy Texas is responding to East Montgomery County’s growth. Their approach is practical—build capacity, strengthen resiliency—and relational—work closely with the Chamber and be present in the community. For me, that combination is what makes progress sustainable.

If you want to learn more or stay updated, check out Community Impact’s Morning Impact and continue the conversation with your local Chamber and utility representatives.