EL PASO- Surrounded by local law enforcement and statewide union leaders El Paso’s Chris McGill was lauded as a law enforcement leader of statewide and national prominence as the law enforcement union building on San Antonio Street was named in his honor today.

 

The governing bodies of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, the El Paso Municipal Police Officers Association and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Officers Association all voted unanimously to name the union headquarters The Chris McGill Building.

 

“Chris McGill has lived a life in continual service to others. From soldier to police officer to labor union leader, his life has been a gift to his country, to El Paso and to every Texas police officer who has pinned on a badge in the past 25 years and all those who will become law enforcement officers in the future,” said Todd Harrison, President of CLEAT and Police Sergeant at the Austin Police Department.

 

McGill served in the U.S. Marine Corps, was stationed around the world where he was assigned to protect U.S. Embassies. He was last stationed in El Paso when he decided to leave the military and become a police officer. A union member from his first day working the streets as a patrol officer, he slowly became interested in the work the local police union did to protect its membership during critical incidents. He quickly moved up the union ranks and became a board member of the local EPMPOA, then vice president, then president of the local union.

 

He served on the collective bargaining team, then as president he shepherded the union through several successful collective bargaining contract negotiations with the city of El Paso. McGill served as local police union President multiple terms and was continuously connected to local politics in El Paso for many years. He was elected to the CLEAT regional board of directors by law enforcement officers from the western end of the state where he served several terms and then sought the position of Vice President being elected statewide. After two terms as Vice President he ran unopposed for CLEAT President. McGill also served on the board of directors as well as Vice President of the National Association of Police Organizations, or NAPO in Washington D.C.

 

During his years of leadership McGill is credited with helping bring all of the unions he was associated with to places of prominence in membership growth, financial stability, and increased services to rank and file members.

 

“McGill is all about making life better for the rank and file officers out working the street,” said Ron Martin, President of the EPMPOA “he set the bar very high for service to members in El Paso and everywhere he worked.”

 

At the end of his term as President of CLEAT McGill announced his retirement from the El Paso Police Department and said he would not seek a second term. In the Fall of 2008 he is quoted in The Texas Police Star as saying it was time for new leadership, that he had completed his tour of duty, and wanted to be remembered as a steady hand of leadership throughout his many years of service at CLEAT. 

 

“Chris was not the stereotypical union president,” said John Burpo, Executive Director at CLEAT in Austin “Whether in El Paso or in Austin, he was a quiet, solid force to be reckoned with. He wasn’t big on speeches; he was big on working hard behind the scenes and getting things done for his members.”

 

McGill then surprised many when he accepted a position as a field representative at CLEAT where he continued his lifelong commitment to law enforcement union work all over Texas. He currently negotiates contracts, handles local political issues for CLEAT affiliates in North and West Texas. 

 

“A person of Chris’ reputation could have taken a field rep job at CLEAT and basically done whatever they wanted,” said Dwight Tiller, Director of Field Services at CLEAT and McGill’s current supervisor. “But instead, he became the hardest worker, the mentor to everyone, and showed us all the enthusiastic heart of a servant.”

 

Tiller says that since 2009 McGill has negotiated many police and sheriff department contracts, helped win several local voter referendum elections and signed many new members into the unions of Texas. 

 

“He makes it look easy because he cares so much about us,” said EPSOA President Jose Marrufo “We know him, we’ve worked with him and we’ve fought all these battles together. We’re lucky to get to work with a hero, that’s what he’s been to all of us.”

 

Please take some time to come support Chris, his family, CLEAT and the association in this event.

 

Thank you,

 

Ron Martin

EPMPOA President

 

PLEASE GO TO THE "PHOTO GALLERY" TO VIEW PHOTOS FROM THE BUILDING DEDICATION CEREMONY.

Additional photos can also be found here.