Powering Community: The Visionary Leadership of Luis Reyes
A Substack Exclusive
Luis Reyes, CEO of Kit Carson Electric, is the silent architect of transformation in Taos, where heritage and integrating new ideas intersect. His hands are not just on the switch of the town’s electrical grid but on the pulse of a community that, through his vision, has thrived on a marriage of modernity and deep-rooted culture. Luis was born into this landscape, with its shifting light and sprawling mesas, but his journey to shaping its future began in a place far more intimate: the glow of candlelight at his childhood kitchen table.
“When the power went out, my mother, Olivia, would reach into the kitchen drawer, pull out candles, and we’d gather—me, my brothers, my dad—just to talk. No distractions, just us, waiting for the lights to come back.” Olivia, a woman of fierce determination and unwavering commitment to her family, left an indelible mark on young Luis. “She used to take me to Kit Carson’s annual meetings,” he says, laughing at the memory of being the only child in the room while his mother discussed local politics. “It was her way of making sure I understood how things worked—how community, politics, and service were all bound.”
Luis Reyes’s career seems inevitable—a path carved from those formative candlelit conversations and boardroom visits. When the opportunity to join Kit Carson Electric came after a college visit home, a chance meeting at the co-op, and the persuasive pride of his mother, he became Kit Carson’s first homegrown engineer–And within a decade, he was running the company.
“I didn’t have a blueprint for leadership,” Reyes admits, “but I knew I wanted to fix what was broken.” In the early days of his career, the power grid in Taos was notoriously unreliable, a symbol of rural isolation. “I wanted to change that.” But his vision stretched far beyond utility poles and wires. From the moment he took the helm, Luis transformed Kit Carson into something more—a cornerstone of the community’s social foundation.
One of his earliest memories is playing catcher for Kit Carson Electric’s Little League team. “That was the first Little League in town, and I was so proud to be part of it,” he says. It was a moment, one of many that would snowball into a career centered on giving back. Whether sponsoring Little League teams or providing scholarships for local youth, Kit Carson Electric’s community involvement is not an afterthought—it’s the very heartbeat of the company. “It’s funny, I was on that first Kit Carson team, and now I’m running the place. It’s like everything was pointing me in this direction, even when I didn’t know it.”
Luis’s commitment to the people of Taos is not without challenges. When he took over as CEO, it wasn’t a planned transition. The previous manager departed abruptly, leaving Luis, then a young engineer, to assume a role that demanded more than technical knowledge. “The board wasn’t interested in public outreach back then. They wanted me to focus on the operations, but I knew we had to do more,” he says. “So, I started showing up. Chamber meetings, council meetings—I became the face of Kit Carson because people needed to know we were there for them, not just to fix outages but to be part of the fabric of this town.”
His belief in transparency and outreach was not always well-received. “In the early nineties, transparency wasn’t a buzzword,” he recalls. “Boards were private. They didn’t want to tell the public anything they didn’t have to.” But Luis pushed back against that tradition, knowing that a utility company, especially one as embedded in the town's life as Kit Carson, had to be more than just a service provider—it had to be a partner. Over time, the community came to trust Kit Carson not just for electricity but for a commitment to Taos’s future.
Perhaps nowhere is that commitment more clear than during Halloween. For many, it’s a holiday of costumes and candy, but for Luis, it’s an opportunity to re-ignite the spirit of togetherness that marked his own childhood. Kit Carson Electric’s annual booth on the Plaza is more than just a corporate display—it’s a symbol of the company’s role in nurturing the community. “When I was a kid, you could go house to house, everyone knew their neighbors– that’s changed. Now, with events like this, we’re bringing that sense of trust and safety back.”
Luis Reyes and Taos News Publisher Chris Baker
During Halloween, Luis hands out candy on the Plaza, and last year, came up with the creative idea of giving light bulbs to the parents. “It was one of our staff’s ideas, and I thought, why not? We gave out hundreds of light bulbs, and people loved it. It’s about engaging people. Halloween, for me, is just as much about the parents as it is about the kids. It’s when we can all come together.”
As Reyes looks ahead, he remains focused on the future—both for the company and for Taos. He’s got a few more years of projects before he considers stepping down, but when he does, he hopes to leave behind a legacy of community first. “I want someone local to take over when I’m done. This isn’t just a job for me—it’s a responsibility. We’re not just running a utility company. We’re shaping lives here.”
At the heart of that responsibility is Luis’s unwavering belief that business, at its best, is about people. “I could have gone somewhere else, done something else,” he reflects. “But my roots are here. My family is here. I want to make sure this place stays strong for them—and for everyone who calls Taos home.” His words carry the weight of years, not of burden, but of purpose—something that began in the flickering glow of kitchen table candlelight, has grown into a beacon for the community.
Very 😎