Jose M. Delgado

 The much beloved Jose Delgado died on Sunday, January 24, 2021 at the age of 74.  Jose was attending a workshop in Texas when he suffered a sudden and massive stroke during the night.  He passed away one week later in the hospital in Austin, in the presence of friends.

Jose was born in Cuba on November 23, 1946.  As part of Operation Peter Pan, he and his siblings immigrated to the United States in 1961 when Jose was 14.  He was placed with a family in Chicago and after six months was reunited with his family. He attended Holy Trinity High School in Chicago and later made his way to Wisconsin where he attended Marquette University and obtained a degree in electrical engineering. He subsequently went on to earn a Master degree in Electrical Engineering as well as an MBA at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.

Jose spent 27 years working at Wisconsin Electric Power Co. (now We Energies), starting as an electrical engineer and ending as Vice President of Electric System Operations.

From 1999 until his retirement in 2010, Jose founded and became the CEO of American Transmission Corporation (ATC)—the first multi-state transmission-only company in the United States.

After his retirement Jose stayed active on various for profit and nonprofit boards. 

 Among many positons he held during his career are: chairman and president of MAIN, the regional reliability council for eastern Wisconsin, Illinois and western Missouri, trustee of NERC, the North America Electric Reliability Corporation, member of the Midwest Independent System Operator Transmission Owners Committee, advisor to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Power Delivery Group, member of the Department of Energy (DOE) Electric System Reliability Task Force, member of an industry advisory board to the DOE laboratories, and member of the U.S. Department of Energy Electricity Advisory Committee.

 Jose had a long-standing interest in education. He was a member of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, the Marquette University School of Engineering National Advisory Council, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Chancellor’s Council of Corporate Sponsors and the School of Business Advisory Council.

In 2014 Governor Scott Walker named Jose a University of Wisconsin Regent, a position he held until his death. 

Throughout his career and his retirement, Jose spent many hours every week helping to run mentoring activities for young men and adult men at Layton Study Center, a nonprofit supplemental educational organization based in Brookfield, WI.  Jose gave talks and classes as well as mentoring both young and old alike. 

One of Jose’s most prized achievements was having met St. Josemaría Escrivá, a saint to whom he had great devotion. He helped many men to understand the message of St. Josemaría that ordinary work can serve as an offering to the Lord. 

Those who knew Jose will remember him fondly for many of his admirable qualities: his large personality, good humor, his engaging conversations, professional approach to getting things done plus his love of life and the United States—the country he came to call his own. 

He is survived by his younger brother, Dave, and his sisters Carmen, Vivian, and Regina.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts to Santa Croce - Pontifical University of the Holy Cross would be appreciated. Donations can be made by clicking here. 

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