Leadership course supports efforts of southern New Mexico small businesses

Bulletin photo by Mike Scanlon
John Garcia, district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s New Mexico District Office, addresses participants in the SBA’s first Emerging Leaders – Las Cruces Program Monday, April 9, at the Doña Ana Community College’s Workforce Center. Standing at far right is Adolfo Vasquez, deputy director of the district office. BY MICHAEL SCANLON For the Bulletin Sixteen small-business leaders from southern New Mexico and El Paso have embarked on a seven-month executive education course sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration designed to help them grow their businesses and take on leadership roles in the community. Participants in the Small Business Administration’s first Emerging Leaders – Las Cruces Program are:

• Rita Borunda, vice president, ARborunda Inc., Las Cruces.
• Edgar Chong, president, El Paso Pro Hygiene LLC, El Paso.
• Jesus Cueto, vice president of operations, Vista Sciences Corporation, Las Cruces.
• Mark Dittmar, vice president, Access Communications Group LLC, El Paso.
• Ana Espinoza, president, Access Communications Group LLC, El Paso.
• Jason Garcia, owner, Impact Electric Services LLC, Las Cruces.
• Michele Garcia, managing member, Roadrunner Enterprise LLC, Las Cruces.
• Deanna Green, owner/manager, Enchanted Occasions Event Rentals LLC, Las Cruces.
• Steve Harris, owner, SBH Web Design LLC, Las Cruces.
• Malinda Lee, office manager, Mevacon LLC, Las Cruces.
• Matt Phelps, owner, OnPoint Computer Solutions, Las Cruces.
• Francisco Rojas, CEO/owner, Scientifica LLC, Las Cruces.
• Rosa Terrazas, office Manager, Timberland Construction LLC, Silver City.
• Frankie Torres, vice president of operations, MANS Co., Las Cruces.
• Angela Valdez, owner, Axis Consulting Inc., Las Cruces.
• Casey Widener, general manager, Sedona Contracting Inc., Las Cruces.

More than 150 New Mexicans have completed the Emerging Leaders course in Albuquerque since its inception in 2008. This year for the first time, the SBA granted New Mexico a second program for Las Cruces. The program draws support from the Doña Ana Community College’s Small Business Development Center, which is funded by the SBA. One participant, Rosa Terrazas, who co-owns the Silver City-based Timberland Construction Inc. with her husband, Ernie, said she felt honored even to be considered for the program. Their business does commercial building construction. “From what I understand, the program is really elaborate,” Terrazas said. “We are exploring different avenues in government contracting and extending our business besides just being in the Southwest. That’s what we’re looking for.” Timberland Construction currently is building the new Ben Archer Health Center off Del Rey Boulevard in Las Cruces. The business incorporated in 2005. Margaret Dubbin, president of the Las Cruces engineering firm Ideals Inc., completed the Emerging Leaders program in 2017. She was on hand for the course’s kick-off event to provide encouragement – and “words of warning,” she joked -- to the new class. “Just take advantage of it,” she said. “I found it very beneficial. It forced me to critically analyze my business, all aspects of it, our operations, our organizational structure, and really identify where we were having problems and how I could solve them so we could move forward and get to the point where I wanted to be.” Participants in the program are selected from a large pool of applicants based on the SBA’s criteria. John Garcia, the SBA’s New Mexico district director, told the group his office has specialists in a variety of areas, including contracting, economic development and lending. Garcia came to the SBA from the Veterans Administration. He is a Vietnam combat veteran, he said. “There’s a lot things that the SBA does,” Garcia said. “Nationally, we have a women’s business office, a veteran business office, a Native American business office, so we team and we create these strategic alliances, and we partner. “The thing is that we need to spread what we’re doing across the state,” he said. “We have a high unemployment rate. We all know that; it’s not a secret. But with that, it’s the other side of the coin. We have a tsunami of entrepreneurism going on. We have a lot of people who are going into business. My task is to help those people become successful. Because for every business I can help become successful, that’s one new job in the state. And then we can start employing our people in the state of New Mexico.” Garcia told participants to expect changes when they complete the course. “All those I have met who have gone through Emerging Leaders class have emerged as a new leader in the business arena and they have hired on more people, and you just see your volume and your dollars go up and they start to grow,” Garcia said. “This is a critical path for you. This is the day that’s going to make a difference in your lives and in your businesses.” There are more than 157,000 small businesses in New Mexico – about 95 percent of the total businesses in the state – employing 331,000 individuals, about 55 percent of the state’s private-sector work force, Garcia said. “You are critical to the backbone of the economy of New Mexico and our country, so it behooves us to do everything we can to help you grow. And that’s what we’re going to do.” The Small Business Administration was founded in 1953 during the Eisenhower Administration. It has 66 district offices across the country and assists small business owners. Michael Scanlon is a freelance reporter in Las Cruces. He can be reached at mscanlon999@gmail.com.