July 7, 2010

3:00 – 5:30 p.m. Set-up of Exhibit Hall
(RGV Livestock Show Grounds Event Center 2nd Floor)

6:00 – 7:30 p.m. South Texas Border Business Contracting Expo
Welcome Reception at First National Bank Ballroom
(334 S. Texas Ave. Mercedes, TX.)

July 8, 2010

Registration starts at 7:30 a.m.

M.C.:

8:00 a.m. Welcome to City: Joel Quintanilla, Mayor – City of Mercedes (8:00 to 8:05 a.m.)

Presentation of Colors (with pledge):
America’s Last Patrol of The Rio Grande Valley
National Anthem: Sheila R. Shidler (8:05 - 8:10 am)

Invocation: Rev. James M. Edge (8:10 – 8:15 a.m.)

Introduction of Expo Co-Chairs: (8:15 – 8:30 a.m.)
GSA Regional Administrator J.D. Salinas

Co-Chairs:
Honorable Henry Cuellar  (8:30 – 8:40 a.m.)
Honorable Solomon Ortiz  (8:40 – 8:50 a.m.)
Honorable Ruben Hinojosa (8:50 – 9:00 a.m.)

Breakout Sessions:

Track 1 (Federal Contracts)

Track 2 (Local & State Government Contracts)

Track 3 (Corporate & Manufacturing Contracts)

Matchmaking Sessions start at 9:15 a.m.
(Up to 21 agents per Session).

9:15 – 11:30 a.m.  Breakout Sessions: (9:15 – 10:15 a.m.)

Track 1  Government Contracting 101
Valerie Colman, Procurement Center Representative – SBA

Track 2  Contracting Certification Programs
Mark Winchester, Program Director – UTPA PTAC
Maggie Trevino, Coordinator – SMSDC
Maria “Charo”  Mann, Program Director – WBC-RGV
Rom Haghighi, Project Manager –Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

Track 3  Doing business with Corporate America
General and Prime Contractors invited (updated at a later date)

(10:30 – 11:30 a.m.)

Track 1  Marketing to GSA
Albert J. Garza, Small Business Utilization Officer – US GSA

Track 2  Selling to the State of Texas
Paul Gibson, Texas HUB Program Manager – TPASS
Orlando Castaneda, HUB Technical Assistance Coordinator – UT Systems
Alta Y. Moten, Business Outreach and Program Support Specialist – TxDOT

Track 3  Doing Business with Prime Contractors
Josue Reyes, Business Development Manager – Skanska USA Building, Inc.

11:45 – 1:15 p.m. Lunch with Keynote Speaker:
US Dept. Of Veterans Affairs OSDBU, Tim Foreman
SBA Regional Administrator, Yolanda Garcia Olivarez

1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Breakout Sessions:

(1:30 – 2:30 p.m.)

Track 1  Doing Business with the Armed Forces/Federal Contracting 
Charlotte Cummins, Small Business Specialist – US Navy
Teresa Rendon, Program Manager – OSBP US Air Force
David Canada, Sr. Procurement Analyst – Dept. of Veteran Affairs

Track 2  Selling to Local Governments
Evangelina Garcia, Contract Manager – County of Hidalgo
Marc D. Garcia, Division of Business Operations – Region 1 ESC
Lorena Garcia, Director of Purchasing Services – McAllen I.S.D.

Track 3  General and Prime Contractors Invited
(updated at later date)

(2:30 – 3:00 p.m.)

Track 1  Doing business with the Minority Business Development Agency
Raymond Cervantes, Business Development Specialist – MBDA

Track 2  Introduction to the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program
Nick Gardner, Program Manager – Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership

Track 3  Financing options, Thelma Garza, Business Development – US SBA
Apolonio Villarreal, Independent Agent, South Texas Insurance Agency