Contracting Resource Center

Aaron Sams is an Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)/Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) veteran who began his career in the United States Air Force, where he served as a contracting officer in charge of acquisitions for materials, services, and construction related projects.

Aaron serves as a Senior Business Development Counselor at the Contracting Resource Center (CRC) for the Veterans Assistance and Services Program (VASP), providing free business counseling services to veteran entrepreneur clients.

Previously, Aaron used his government contracting experience administering contracts for a large Fortune 500 company that provided environmental remediation, energy efficiency, base operations, and infrastructure services on Air Force, Army, and Navy installations worldwide.

Aaron is a graduate of Wayland Baptist University, where he earned a B.S. in Occupational Education with a specialization in contracts management.

Deirdre Pattillo, SPHR, is Project Manager/Human Resource Specialist for the South-West Texas Border SBDC Region's Contracting Resource Center at UTSA.  She has served the SBDC community for over 11 years with the past 4 years being focused on Human Resources and regulatory compliance.  Her goal is to be a key resource for the people side of small business.

Deirdre has worked with the Institute for Economic Development for the past eleven years in various capacities and programs ranging from administrative/research to program development.

Grace Garcia started her career with the Small Business Development Center at Angelo State University in San Angelo Texas, where she worked as the training coordinator. Grace is now the Administrative Analyst/Training Coordinator for the Contracting Resource Center. Her main responsibility is to coordinate the logistics for government contracting seminars, workshops and conferences offered at the center. Previously, she was the Executive Director for the San Angelo Symphony and the Program Director for the American Lung Association in Dallas, Texas, where she gained experience in event planning, grant writing, fundraising, promotional marketing, and program development and implementation. She holds a BBA from Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth.

Mr. Rodriguez has a specialization in construction at the Contracting Resource Center. His passion is directed solely to the interest in the growth of small business and has a strong desire to see his community and the nation strengthened by the services and support that the Institute for Economic Development can offer. His previous experience background consists of a small business owner in the small business consulting, construction contracting and construction management industries for the past 23 years. He received his BS in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University, attended Burbank High School and is a native San Antonian.

Linda has over 13 years experience working with small businesses through the Small Business Development Center programs. She has been a program director with the SBDC program for over seven years, two of it with the SBDC Contracting Resource Center. Linda has been with the UTSA South-West Texas SBDC Network for five years. She has a BBA from Baylor University and graduate work in Applied Technology Training and Development from the University of North Texas.

Marion Perry brings over 20 years experience, most of those at UTSA, as an Administrative Associate with the Contracting Resource Center.  At the IED she has worked the Minority Business Enterprise Center, Human Capital Program, and International Trade Center.  Marion handles the Bid Match registrations, billing, and payments, as well as travel for the center.

Patricia is a native of San Antonio. She earned a BBA in Marketing from St. Mary’s University. After graduation from college, Patricia worked as a sales representative for Xerox Corporation before returning to help in a local manufacturing business in San Antonio. As a previous small-business owner in San Antonio, she brings 13 plus years of government contracting experience and business operation experience to the job. Patricia’s goal as a Project Manager for the UTSA SBDC Contracting Resource Center is to help entrepreneurs with their marketing activities and contracting opportunities.