51³Ô¹ÏÍøÊÓƵ

Vaughn and Aguilera offer expertise at Governor’s Small Business Summit

PLAINVIEW, TX — Two 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÊÓƵ Baptist University administrators have been selected to participate in the State of Texas Governor’s Small Business Summit.

Gary Vaughn, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, and Rafael Aguilera, Executive Director of Human Resources, are scheduled to serve as panelists during the summit, which takes place Thursday, Aug. 8, at Plainview Municipal Country Club and Civic Center, 2902 W. Fourth St. The day-long summit begins with registration at 7:30 a.m.

Dr. Charles Starnes, Plainview mayor and Professor of Economics in 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÊÓƵ’s School of Business, is scheduled to be a part of the welcoming ceremonies at 8 a.m.

Vaughn will be part of the “Marketing and Social Engagement for Small Business” panel, which takes the stage at 8:55 a.m. He will be joined by moderator Chuck Edwards, Regional Director of Texas Tech University’s Small Business Development Center in Lubbock; Devin Sisk of Muleshoe-based Devin Sisk Photography; and Ashton Montgomery of Lubbock-based Flint Avenue Marketing.

“It is an honor to be asked to represent 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÊÓƵ at the Governor’s Small Business Summit,” Vaughn said. “I look forward to sharing the knowledge we have as well as learning from others.”

Aguilera will be a part of a panel exploring “Recruiting, Training, and Retaining Employees in Today’s Economy”, which will convene at 12:35 p.m. He will be joined by moderator Adrienne Cozart, board chair of Workforce Solutions South Plains; Noel Morin, Strategic Planner for Workforce Solutions South Plains; and Jay Warnick, Director of Continuing Education and Workforce at South Plains College.

“It is important to be competitive for all employers regardless of size when it comes to hiring, training and retention,” Aguilera said. “This panel will provide attendees with valuable strategies.”

Other panel discussions include “Access to Finance and Funding”, “Making Technology Work for Your Small Business”, and “Navigating Historic Downtown Renovations for Small Businesses”.

Partners for the Governor’s Small Business Summit include Texas Workforce Commission, Plainview-Hale County Economic Development Corp., and City of Plainview. Sponsors include Caprock Business Finance Corp. and Xcel Energy.