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Start: March 9, 2021
10:00 AM (UTC/GMT -05:00 - America / Chicago)
End: March 9, 2021
11:30 AM (UTC/GMT -05:00 - America / Chicago)
Small Business Development Program

Online event

Our Keynote Speaker

Mario Elie

"Never Underestimate the Heart of a Champion"
Mario Elie

Speakers

Marshall Heins

Sr. VC Finance & Admin (Interim) CFO
Houston Community College
Marshall Heins

Joe Gavin, CTCD

Executive Director, Procurement & Operations Department
Houston Community College
Joe Gavin, CTCD
  • Joe Gavin, CTCD
    Joseph Gavin, CTCD is the Executive Director of Procurement Operations at Houston Community College. Joseph oversees the College’s Procurement Department, which includes Procurement Operations, Strategic Sourcing, and the Small Business Development Program. Joseph brings more than 20 years of Procurement experience to the College, with over 15 years in leadership positions.
    Prior to Houston Community College, Joseph worked in the private sector, managing the Procurement process for Mega Projects within Saudi Arabia, the large scale manufacturing industry (aluminum and multi-materials), Energy (Gas and Power), and Legal.
    In addition to his Procurement experience, Joseph is also a Veteran of the United States Navy.
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Veronica Douglas, CPPB

Manager, Small Business Development Program
Houston Community College
Veronica Douglas, CPPB
  • Veronica Douglas, CPPB
    Veronica Douglas, CPPB is the Manager of the Small Business Development Program at Houston Community College where she provides assistance to small businesses by providing workshops, information and support. She has over 20 years of experience in public procurement, having previously worked for the City of Rockwall, City of Allen, City of Plano and City of Houston, Texas.
     
    She holds the Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) and Purchasing Supply Chain Management (PSCM) designations. She is the Southeast Texas Association of Public Purchasing (SETAPP) President and has served on the Membership and Chapter Relations Committees for the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP).
     
    Her desire to work with minority business enterprises has given her the opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors for the Greater Houston Black Chamber as well as serve as Co-Chair for the National Association of Minority Contractors Master Corporate Partner Committee.
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Deborah Aaron

Procurement Assistant, Small Business Development Program
Houston Community College
Deborah Aaron

Kerry Doucette, CPPO

Director Strategic Sourcing, Procurement Operations Department
Houston Community College
Kerry Doucette, CPPO
  • Kerry Doucette, CPPO

    Kerry Doucette is the Director of Strategic Sourcing for Houston Community College System, overseeing the acquisition of goods and services across the College system. He has worked in the procurement field in various roles, in both the public and private sectors, including purchasing, material management, distribution and manufacturing environments. 

     

    Kerry has extensive experience in developing and implementing new purchasing strategies in compliance with state and federal law, city ordinances and education boards to streamline operations, improve internal controls, and support customer service.

    As the Strategic Sourcing Director, he is responsible for ensuring business operations and procurement functions work optimally. Kerry manages a team of procurement assistants, buyers and senior buyers and coordinates the procurement process in support of all procurements related to the implementation of the Small Business Development Program. 

     

    Mr. Doucette has a bachelor’s degree in business management from Southern University.  He has also been recognized by the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) as a Certified Professional Procurement Officer (CPPO).

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Cory Douglas, CTCD

Senior Buyer Lead, Procurement Operations Department, Sourcing
Houston Community College
Cory Douglas, CTCD
  • Cory Douglas, CTCD
    Corey Douglas serves as the Sr. Buyer, Lead for the Procurement Operations Department.  This section has the sole authority to negotiate for the purchase of supplies, equipment, and services for the Houston Community College System.  
     
    Mr. Douglas has worked in the procurement field in various roles and increasing levels of responsibility since 1998.  He first started as a career active-duty member of the US Navy, retiring as a Logistics Specialist Chief Petty Officer in 2018. 
     
    Prior to joining Houston Community College, Corey served as Manager of Procurement Services for Prairie View A&M University.  His primary responsibilities were to acquire quality goods and services strategically and ethically at the best value for the University, while maintaining compliance with applicable laws, policies, rules, and regulations. 
     
    Mr. Douglas has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from American Military University.  He has also been recognized by the State of Texas Comptroller as a Certified Texas Contract Developer (CTCD). 
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Marilyn Vega, MBA, CTCD

Senior Buyer, Procurement Operations Department, Sourcing
Houston Community College
Marilyn Vega, MBA, CTCD
  • Marilyn Vega, MBA, CTCD
    Marilyn Vega- Sr. Buyer
    Marilyn has been in the College for 10 years and is part of the Sourcing Team for Procurement Operations. Works primarily with IT Services and Student Services.
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Arturo Lopez

Senior Buyer, Procurement Operations Department, Sourcing
Houston Community College
Arturo Lopez

Freddy Conde

Buyer, Procurement Operations Department, Sourcing
Houston Community College
Freddy Conde
  • Freddy Conde
    Born in Venezuela.
    -Degree in Business Management from Owens Technical College.(Toledo OH)
    -Specialization in International Commerce and Foreign Trade from Univesidad Simon Bolivar (Caracas   VZLA)
    -25 years experience in Oil&Gas Corporations focused on Procurement Goods and Services for Manufacturing Facilities
    -8 + years as Buyer with HCC in the Procurement Department
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Cicero Castandiello

Buyer, Procurement Operations Department, Sourcing
Houston Community College
Cicero Castandiello
  • Cicero Castandiello

    Cicero completed a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He has 15 years of experience in purchasing in a fast-paced, high-volume environment primarily in construction, property management, Telecom, IT, Manufacturing and Oil & Gas industry. His professional background reflects a wide range of experience and achievements in Sourcing Strategies, RFPs/RFIs processing, Bid / Proposal Reviews, as well as other procurement projects.

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Nikole Cruz

Procurement Assistant, Procurement Operations Department, Sourcing
Houston Community College
Nikole Cruz
  • Nikole Cruz
    Nikole Cruz has been at HCC for coming up on 3 years now. She has been in the role of PCard Analyst and Procurement Assistant. She started off as our student workstudy, and worked her way to becoming our full-time employee as our Procurement Assistant working closely with our Director of Strategic Sourcing and our Senior Buyers. She is graduating this Spring 2021 from HCC with her Associates in Business Administration, with plans to attend U of H for her Bachelor’s in Supply Chain Management.
     
     
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Sintique Aparicio

Procurement Assistant, Procurement Operations Department, Sourcing
Houston Community College
Sintique Aparicio
  • Sintique Aparicio
    Sintique is a Procurement Assistant for the Strategic Sourcing side of Procurement Operations Department with Houston Community College. Being new to the Public Procurement industry. Sintique has worked both in the Private and Public sector of Procurement.
    Houston raised, she loves to travel and explore new cultures, and hopes to one day own her own Coffee shop focusing strongly in her Mexican culture while still bringing in her inner Texas gal.
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Christopher Burton, CTPM, CTCM, C.P.M., CPSM, MBA, CPPO

Director, Procurement Operations
Houston Community College
Christopher Burton, CTPM, CTCM, C.P.M., CPSM, MBA, CPPO
  • Christopher Burton, CTPM, CTCM, C.P.M., CPSM, MBA, CPPO
    Christopher E. Burton, MBA, CPPO, CTPM, CPSM, C.P.M. Director Procurement Operations at Houston Community College, one of the largest and most diverse colleges in the country.
    Educated in the Holy Cross tradition, he attended St. Edward’s University where he earned an MBA with a concentration in Marketing and Management.  He is presently working on his doctorate degree in Interdisciplinary leadership from Creighton University.  
     He began his supply chain career with DuPont where he worked within operations, marketing, and global supply chain as a contract manager----supporting 13 multi-national factories.  He transitioned his career to the public sector working in managerial roles at several state agencies including a 3 year tenure with the Texas Building and Procurement Commission as the Statewide Procurement Manager.  Recruited out of Austin to lead the University of Houston’s Centralized Purchasing Department and HUB Program, he directed the flagship university and system department for 2.5 years during a time of great change and growth.
    He is a proponent and champion for education and has earned several supply chain certifications and is a proud member of SETAPP and ISM.  In his spare time, he teaches as an adjunct instructor within the UH College of Technology where he enjoys seeing his students self-actualize---“becoming who they are through education”.  He resides in the Houston Heights with his wife, Veronica, and seven-year-old daughter, Bridget, future point guard for Notre Dame University.  
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Daniel Nacinovich

Supplier Analyst, Procurement Operations Department
Houston Community College
Daniel Nacinovich
  • Daniel Nacinovich
    Daniel is a supply chain expert with over 20 years of experience in the energy industry. Throughout his career, Daniel has successfully managed key supply chain categories in strategic sourcing, category management, and materials management. Bilingual (English/Spanish) and bicultural manager and leader, Daniel has extensive experience in supply chain agreements, contracts, and large-scale logistics operations related to the oil & gas industry. Daniel is a decisive operations leader with excellent analytical, organizational, team building and planning skills. He is experienced in contract negotiations, inventory management, cost analysis, processes re-engineering and supplier development, with a well career experience balanced between on-site operations and engineering design office settings. 
     
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Gia Hodges

Procurement Analyst, Procurement Operations Department
Houston Community College
Gia Hodges

Elizabeth Carreno

Program Director of Goldman Sachs - elizabeth.carreno@hccs.edu
Houston Community College
Elizabeth Carreno

James Mable

Director of Career & Job Placement Services
Houston Community College
James Mable
  • James Mable
    James Mable serves as the first Director of Career & Job Placement Services at Houston Community College. Mable has been in the role since December 2017. He has worked in a variety of Career Services environments including the for-profit sector at American InterContinental University where he attained a 91% job placement rate as a Career Advisor. Mable also served as Alumni Career Services Assistant Director at the University of Houston and later served as Director of Career & Calling at Houston Baptist University. In his current role, the Career & Job Placement Services department was newly formed in the spring of 2018 and Mable provides shared oversight of the six Career Centers throughout the HCC System. Houston Community College has an annual enrollment of over 100,000 students. Mable is from College Station, TX. He served in the United States Marines immediately after high school and later attained his Bachelor Degree in Political Science and Master of Education both at Sam Houston State University. Mable is also a certified Professional Resume Writer.
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Andrew Johnson III

ITE Program Director
Houston Community College
Andrew Johnson III
  • Andrew Johnson III
    Andrew Johnson III
    An experienced management professional with 30+ years of combined Consulting, Education & Training, Steel Fabrication, Welding, Research & Development, and Military experience. My focused expertise is in the areas of Steel Manufacturing, Leadership, and Industrial Skills Training. I am an ARMY Veteran, a graduate of The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding, an MBA, and Entrepreneur. My current role as Program Director of the Industrial Technology and Energy department at HCC is a dream come true! 
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Mike Trest

Executive Director, Facilities and Real Estate
Houston Community College
Mike Trest
  • Mike Trest
    Mike is a retired Naval Officer, a licensed Professional Engineer, and a native Houstonian.  He has spent over 27 years in facilities management, and is currently the Executive Director of Facilities and Real Estate and also the Interim Chief Facilities Officer.  Mike is a champion for and fully supports Small Businesses.
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Dr. Diana Castillo, Ed.D

College Operations Officer
HCC Coleman College
Dr. Diana Castillo, Ed.D
  • Dr. Diana Castillo, Ed.D
    Dr. Diana Gonzalez-Castillo is a seasoned college educator with over 40 years of executive level experience working in the community college system. Most of Dr. Castillo’s work is centered in the philosophy of creating student centered learning environments that value and promote student success. Dr. Castillo is a firm believer in the concept of “institutional will” to collectively direct the college’s actions and behavior for the betterment of the students and communities we serve.  
     
    Dr. Castillo’s higher education and community college experience includes serving HCC a total of 45 years in various roles: HCC Interim College President at Southeast College; College Operations Officer, Assistant Dean of Students; Professional Counselor, and English Instructor. Most recently, in addition to her COO duties, Dr. Castillo was appointed by HCC’s Executive Council to take on the leadership role for the coordination the safe reopening of all HCC colleges amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic. This has not been an easy task, but since July, Dr. Castillo has worked tirelessly with the HCC Incident Management team, the Facility division, COOs, SSVS Deans, and instructional leadership to safely prepare HCC college campuses to safely open for limited face to face instruction and to help guide the team towards eventual normal operations.
    Dr. Castillo Chaired the first HCC Hispanic Education Leadership Committee (HELC) Scholarship Gala which grossed over $100,000 for student scholarships demonstrating the ability to raise funds and work with various foundations to raise monies for students. Most recently, Dr. Castillo created an HCC Endowment which raised over $30,000 in a matter of six months.
    Dr. Castillo has excellent management experience and has developed positive working relationships with faculty and staff to develop new markets and enhance organizational capability. Among her multiple strengths is her ability to inspire and build highly functioning teams. She has a proven record for recruiting and hiring the best faculty and staff with a focus increasing organizational efficiency. 
    Dr. Castillo’s experience includes extensive capital improvement, facility management, financial management, budgeting and planning, legal and public relations, and marketing programs. Dr. Castillo is a strong supporter of technology that is used to promote innovation and success in teaching and learning, and that promotes student success. Dr. Castillo is passionate about promoting teaching, learning, and innovation as primary goals for the HCC. She often remarks, “It is all about teaching and learning!”
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Gabriela Zambrano

Director Houston MBDA Business Center, Operated by Houston Community College
Houston Community College
Gabriela Zambrano
  • Gabriela Zambrano
    Gabriela Zambrano has several years as an advocate for small businesses. Under the MBDA’s Disaster Recovery and Preparedness grant, Gabriela managed a $500,000 budget and coordinated several events who assisted over 350 firms, and more than 3000 participants attended the workshops.  Previously, she served as a Business Development Officer for the City of Houston’s Office of Business Opportunity. In this role, she reviewed and certified over 400 businesses in compliance with established state, federal and departmental regulations and guidelines to determine business eligibility for certification as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Minority, Women-owned, and Small owned business (MW/SBE). Before becoming a city public servant, she worked as a supervisor for a minority-owned small business, where she guided entrepreneurs on their insurance and income tax needs. 
    Gabriela moved to Washington, DC to work at the State Department where she coordinated the United States political and economic policies for the Western Hemisphere, specifically in Cuba and Honduras.  Her role in facilitating relationships with the international community, the private sector, and other U.S. Government agency representatives helped increase trade and promote growth and stability.   During her tenure with the U.S. Department of State, Gabriela was recognized for her work by receiving the Superior Honor, Group Superior Honor, and Franklin awards.  
    She grew up on the East Coast; she is the daughter of Ecuadorian parents and speaks fluent Spanish. 
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Fheryl J. Prestage, MBA

Chief Information Officer (CIO) / Vice Chancellor, Information Technology
Houston Community College
Fheryl J. Prestage, MBA

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