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Biography |
Anna Borrego
Administrative Associate I |
Anna Borrego offers over 14 years of customer-service experience. Her background includes extensive experience working as a customer-service representative. Anna holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Marketing from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio.
At the SA SBDC, Anna assists potential and existing business owners with business workshop registration as well as other SBDC services. Anna has recently been awarded the Team Player of the Year for 2007 by her peers. She has also recently earned the Certified Administrative Professional designation. |
Ben Garza
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Ben Garza joined the UTSA Small Business Development Center in 2007. He has 15 plus years of small business ownership & management experience, primarily in consultative business solutions and private investment funding, which provides him with a very broad background to assist other small business owners. In addition, over 20 years of technical and management consulting experience, as well as Mergers and Acquisitions, preparing due diligence packages and validating business models for investor groups.
Ben has consulted with domestic and international Fortune 100 sized companies on strategic and operational management. He has a collective experience of over 35 years in all facets of telecommunications and business process management. He has served in senior positions in Operations, Engineering, Sales and Marketing, TQM Initiatives, CLEC startups, Cellular Systems, Network Management, Construction Management in Microwave, Satellite, Fiber Optic Cable, and Wireless Broadband.
He holds a BBA in Accounting and an MBA in Finance.
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David Baenziger
Counseling Coordinator |
David Baenziger, Counseling Coordinator
Certified Global Business Professional
Senior Certified Business Advisor
David Baenziger has 20-plus years of small business ownership experience primarily in the grocery and convenience store industry that provides him with a very strong background to assist other small business owners. David has been with the UTSA Small Business Development Center for over 8 years. David Baenziger has 5 times been awarded the San Antonio SBDC Counselor of the Year Award and was awarded the San Antonio SBA District Counselor of the Year award in May 2003 during SBA's Small Business Week Luncheon. In October 2003, he was honored by the Association of Small Business Development Centers at their annual meeting in San Diego as a 2003 State Star Counselor.
David has mentored and advised many small business owners on sales and customer service in their businesses. He has assisted many business owners in starting or expanding a business. He also assists his clients with business plans and financial projections for their loan packages. He attended and exhibited in a variety of trade shows and expositions and uses this knowledge to train other business owners in trade show etiquette and booth layout.
David delivers presentations to groups and organizations that are local, statewide, national, and international. David continues his professional development by attending workshops and training on sales, customer service, and marketing. He also reads books and listens to CD’s on these and other topics.
David presents workshops on business topics such as business planning, financial management, and business start up. David is continually working on personal and professional development receiving the Certified Global Business Professional designation in July 2007.
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Erica Campos
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Erica E. Campos graduated from The University of Texas at San Antonio in 2006, where she earned her Bachelor of Business Administration Degree with a concentration in Marketing.
As a new member of the SBDC, Erica would like to assist new and existing business owners with helpful information.
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Jaime Martinez
Business Advisor |
Jaime attended The University of Texas at San Antonio and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in International Business. In 1999 he began his professional career with Frost National Bank working in the Customer Service, Telephone Banking, and International Private Banking departments. Jaime continued his banking career in 2006 with Wachovia Bank as a Financial Specialist. He is currently a Business Advisor for the San Antonio Small Business Development Center at UTSA. In his eight years in banking he assisted his clientele with consumer / business lending, financial advice, and money management.
Jaime’s career in banking has provided him the knowledge to assist business owners by providing them the specialized advice they deserve. He has advised small business owners on sales, marketing, and customer service in their businesses. In his previous role as an International Banker he assisted many Mexican National business owners with establishing their businesses in San Antonio. He accomplished this by working with a network of professionals that included accountants, attorneys, and real estate agents. Jaime’s role in the SBDC is to coordinate all customers’ business needs by identifying events that may affect their business and provide them with valuable advice.
Since 2003 Jaime has been active in the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Free Trade Alliance. In March of 2004 he was accepted into the Alex Briseno Leadership Program. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce implemented this program to improve the civic and business community. Jaime is an alumnus of the Leadership San Antonio Class 30 of 2004 through the Greater Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber. The program gave him the opportunity to be an emerging leader in his professional career and within the S.A. community.
Jaime’s mission in the Small Business Development Center is to provide the specialized business advice that clients deserve. This includes business plan advice, financial projections, and marketing plans.
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Laura Gilliland
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Laura Gilliland has been with the SBDC since May of 2007. She holds a degree in International Politics from Vanderbilt University and has several years of experience in marketing and public relations.
As the Assistant Training Coordinator, Laura helps with the marketing and development of the various seminars offered throughout the year to business owners and entreprenuers.
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Laura Waldrum
Administrative Analyst |
Laura came to the San Antonio SBDC in January 2005 after working for her family’s hospital consultation business. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts from Texas State University, where she studied Anthropology and English. Currently, she is a graduate student at UTSA working towards a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and is scheduled to graduate in Spring 2009.
Laura assists the program director in developing and maintaining relations with various SBDC stakeholders. Her efforts ensure the services provided by the SBDC are widely known as an important resource to our community. She also works on a variety of special projects for the center.
When she isn’t at work or attending night classes, Laura enjoys spending time with her husband and children. She also enjoys traveling and following local and national politics.
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Mark Ahrens
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Mark Ahrens has been with the UTSA Small Business Development Center for over 2 years. He has 10-plus years of small business ownership & management experience, primarily in the grocery store industry, which provides him with a very strong background to assist other small business owners. In addition, over 10 years of wholesale consulting and advertising experience has added an in-depth knowledge of buying and marketing programs for small business owners.
Mark’s extensive background in the grocery industry makes him uniquely qualified to discuss the retail, wholesale, and brokerage aspects of the business. .
Mark’s prior experience includes a position as a retail business consultant and advertising manager for a national grocery wholesale company. He also has experience with e-commerce. Mark continues his professional development by attending workshops on sales, customer service, and marketing.
Sales and customer service workshops as well as marketing workshops are his primary focus with current and potential business owners.
Mark has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business with a Marketing emphasis from Indiana State University in Terre Haute, IN. Additional training includes Retail Business Consultant Certification from SVU University in Eden Prairie, MN, plus comprehensive sales and time management training.
Community involvement continues to be a priority with membership in groups such as the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce.
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Mike Reyes
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Mike joined the SBDC in 1997 as a Business Advisor. Because of his 23-year background as a banker and loan specialist, Mike is particularly effective in counseling clients needing financial assistance. He works with clients in San Antonio and also covers the New Braunfels area on a regular basis. He is also fluent in Spanish.
Mike produced a series of workshops, “Money Management” specifically geared to help Small Business owners better manage the financial part of their business. Mike has had numerous speaking engagements with chambers of commerce, financial institutions and civic groups. He was a presenter at the Governor’s Conference on Small Business in 2005 and the annual Bexar County Small Women & Minority Business Enterprise conference in 2007.
Mike holds a BBA from UT-Austin and an MBA degree from Our Lady of the Lake University as well as being a graduate of SMU’s Graduate School of Banking. With this background, he brings a wealth of ability and experience to his clients. Mike has been named Counselor of the Year two years in a row, 2003 & 2004 and Team Player in 2005.
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Morrison Woods
Director |
Morrison Woods was born in San Antonio and raised in an Air Force family spending most of his life in San Antonio and Central Texas. He holds a BBA and MBA from The University of Texas at Austin. He has lived in San Antonio for the last 28 years. His current and most recent position is Director of the Small Business Development Center at The University of Texas at San Antonio; he has been in various positions with UTSA for 24 years.
Prior to joining UTSA, Morrison worked in international trade with the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and program management with the San Antonio Mexican Chamber of Commerce. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer with a fishing cooperative in Costa Rica from 1977-79 after which he spent a short period of time working for a Costa Rican shoe-manufacturing firm.
Morrison has been involved in a number of community activities throughout the years. He currently serves as on the Board of the Central Area Business Council of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. He is a graduate of the San Antonio Leadership XIX Class which was the first class jointly sponsored by the San Antonio Hispanic and Greater San Antonio Chamber’s of Commerce.
Morrison’s personal interests include history, the classics, travel, photography, astronomy, birding, classical music, and the outdoors. |
Richard Sifuentes
Certified Business Advisor |
Richard Sifuentes has many years of management and business experience while working for private industry, the government, and as a consultant. He has been an owner, partner, and investor in several business entities. His background as a business analyst, experience in government contracting, work in real estate and real estate financing, and role as a small business consultant, enable him to successfully advise business owners and business owners-to-be.
Richard has been involved in several organizations, including the local chambers of commerce and various networking groups. Richard also has donated time to tutor youth at a local elementary school. He is a graduate of Trinity University. He has also successfully completed the Entrepreneurial Development Program from the University of Texas-San Antonio, and the Community Minority Business Development Program from the University of Texas-Austin.
Richard would like to assist other aspiring entrepreneurs in starting and growing successful businesses. Richard’s goal is to continue to learn and grow so as to be better able to serve the needs of his clients. |
Tom Hansis
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Tom Hansis has an extensive background in small business, management, and finance. He has shared his knowledge with small business owners since 1996 at the San Antonio SBDC. As much as he enjoys teaching others, he enjoys even more what he learns from his clients and their businesses. He is proud of the fact that his clients have obtained business loans and hired new employees to add to the local economy.
Tom presents workshops on business topics such as Business Plan Basics and Finances, Start-Up Essentials and QuickBooks. He also gives a Spanish language introduction to small business workshop. Outside speaking is one of his favorite activities as he speaks to service clubs, chambers of commerce, and other trade groups.
He has earned the top designation of Certified Business Advisor IV by attending many professional development activities. He also received his BA degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Tom points out that he has personal experience in such varied businesses as child care, fitness centers, and consulting as well as counseling with 100’s of types of small businesses in his career.
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Wayne Looff
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Wayne Looff has over 20 years of experience owning and operating restaurants. Wayne is a real estate broker and has experience in real estate development. He has also owned and operated several businesses in Texas and Colorado.
Wayne Looff’s business experience enables him to provide solid advice for new businesses and businesses wishing to expand. During the 2004 Wayne’s clients created 168 new jobs and invested $2,930,000 to startup or expand their businesses, of this total $1,770,000 were in new loans. He has recently received Counselor of the Year for the San Antonio SBDC.
Wayne provides his counseling services and business start-up workshops for area organizations; such as Chambers of Commerce located in Boerne, Canyon Lake, Bulverde LaVernia and Floresville. He also works with the Floresville Economic Development Corporation and attends numerous business expos and trade shows representing the Small Business Development Center.
Wayne joined the SBDC in 2001. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from Texas State University.
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Yanet Gomez
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Yanet Gómez brings with her to the Small Business Development Center over 10 years of adult education experience, seven of those involving staff development in a corporate setting. She earned her BA and MA in Communications from The University of Texas Pan American.
Prior to joining the San Antonio SBDC, she worked in the behavioral healthcare field and adult education in a university environment. Yanet’s focus as Training Coordinator is to support our entrepreneurs with seminars and workshops that provide the training and tools to help guide their business venture. Her experience with curriculum development, organizational communication and event planning assist her in supporting the goals of the Small Business Development Center.
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