2007 PNM ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARD WINNERS

Linda Ruckel, owner of Advance Tax Services, Inc. in Santa Fe, received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Linda is an entrepreneur who successfully manages the tasks required for current business success while pursuing a vision for the future. She founded Advance Tax Services, Inc. in 2001 with a $2,000 investment and business plan assistance from the Santa Fe Small Business Development Center and SCORE. Linda opened her first office in 2002 and was accepted as a tenant into the Santa Fe Business Incubator in 2003. Now in its sixth year, Advance Tax Services has grown to five locations employing seventeen people with sales of over $250,000 annually. In 2005, Linda formed a related business, Tax Pros USA to serve individual taxpayers during tax season. Tax Pros USA recently opened a kiosk in Villa Linda Mall to increase exposure for its services within an easily accessible high traffic location. This strategy contributed to the doubling of previous year’s sales. Like the true entrepreneur that she is, Linda, even used a major setback as a springboard for the growth and improvement of her business. After Linda discovered an employee embezzling tax preparation fees, she began a campaign to protect the public from unscrupulous tax preparers at both the State and Federal levels. Linda also undertook a program to better test all potential employees and to require at least one professional designation. When it became apparent that the supply of individuals who would meet these more stringent standards was scarce in Santa Fe, Linda actively recruited candidates and developed a free six-week study course to prepare candidates for the Accredited Business Accountant (ACA) and Accredited Tax Preparer (ATP) examinations. Ms. Ruckel holds several professional designations; is active in various business organizations including the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce and the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce; formed the local chapter of the National Society of Tax Professionals; and volunteers over 200 hours per year of her time to prepare and teach workshops for the Small Business Development Center and WESST Corp. She is currently formulating plans to leverage her business success by franchising her business nationally.

In just two years, Jason Burns, owner of Recapturing Vehicles in Rio Rancho, has built a successful business detailing RVs and cars for customers in and around Albuquerque. He was given the Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He identified a market need and acted upon it. From the insights he gained from his father’s body shop, Jason recognized that many auto detailers had a well deserved reputation for being unreliable, unprofessional and doing low quality work. Initially investing $5,000 of his own money to get into business while still in college, Jason later secured an $8,000 loan from ACCION that allowed him to accelerate the growth of his business. Providing high quality and dependable service, Jason has used referrals from satisfied customers as one of the primary methods of marketing his business. He has contracts with local RV dealers, and also provides services to movie companies who require high quality on-set cleaning and detailing for cars, RVs and other vehicles used in New Mexico film projects. Jason’s enthusiasm, drive, willingness to learn and commitment to excellence have positioned his company well for rapid growth and expansion.

The Romero family exemplifies the possibilities offered in entrepreneurship. Michael & Alice Romero and their daughters Mikelynn and Mikell have fulfilled the American dream in a very personal way. The current success of Michael’s Mini-Mart follows the pattern of success the family established with their first business, a Tastee Freeze franchise they opened in Espanola in 1971. To be technically accurate Michael’s Mini-Mart, purchased in 1998, is located in Velarde, or suburban Espanola. In addition to providing goods and services to travelers in northern New Mexico, the store serves as the unofficial town square of Velarde. The Romeros, recipients of the Rural Entrepreneurs of the Year Award, have the gift of hospitality that allows them to serve their community and others in a manner that that is uplifting to all those involved. From providing job training and employment opportunities to three generations of New Mexicans to the numerous community events where they feed thousands of people, the Romero family is constantly reaching out and lifting up their community. With annual sales of over $1.0 million, Michael and Alice Romero are a true New Mexico success story. They are self-made entrepreneurs who rose from extremely humble beginnings and limited formal education to own two successful businesses, create a role model for their children and make their community a better place to live.

Brinda Ramanathan, Pioneer Award winner and owner of Serafina Technical Consulting in Serafina, left her native India 31 years ago with a plane ticket to the United States in her hand and six dollars in her pocket. Since then she has earned bachelor and masters degrees on the way to her Ph.D. in environmental chemistry and her Professional Engineer designation. In 2004, Brinda formed Serafina Technical Consulting, an environmental consulting company specializing in air, water, noise and environmental regulatory compliance. Brinda moved her business into the Santa Fe Business Incubator in 2006. She has overcome the difficulties of building a woman-owned business in a male dominated field. In addition to the incredible technical expertise that she processes, she has worked hard to increase her business and marketing skills through WESST Corp’s Marketlink program. Her drive, commitment and focus have paid off with rising sales for each of the past three years, and the addition of two part-time employees. She has positioned her business for future growth and success.

At the age of 15, Stevie Springer, Rising Star Award recipient and owner of Chez Axel Restaurant in Albuquerque, was a high school dropout and on his own in the world, but you would never guess that he had such a difficult beginning by looking at his life today. He is now a graduate-level educated professional and successful entrepreneur. He is a successful restaurateur; he is an award winning music teacher. He is a philanthropist who helped found and now runs Young People with Talent, Inc., an organization which provides need and merit based scholarships to youth who wish to pursue careers in visual or performing arts. Motivated by his love of music and a desire to realize his dreams, he overcame his difficult beginnings and put himself through college and graduate school by working in restaurants, all of which had amazing chefs from whom Stevie was able to learn. His music and anthropology studies took him across the world and introduced him to the cultures and cuisines that influence his restaurant menu today. In 2005, Stevie realized one of his dreams when he bought Chez Axel with the help of a loan through ACCION New Mexico.

Cindy Lewis, owner of Comfort Keepers in Roswell, earned the Leadership Award. When Lewis’ grandfather became a widower, he was unable to care for himself, but hated the thought of leaving the comfort and security of his longtime home. Because Cindy was unable to find reliable services that would allow her grandfather to receive the care he needed at home, she was forced to move back to Roswell from California to care for her him.The experience with her grandfather’s care started Cindy on the journey that has become Comfort Keepers in Roswell. Comfort Keepers provides caregiver services to senior citizens and new mothers in their own homes. Cindy is a dynamic and creative entrepreneur who has found many innovative and effective ways that benefit her business, her community and her employees. A powerful example is Comfort Keepers’ collaborative effort with the Region VI Housing Authority that provides needed services to the elderly tenants of the Housing Authority, and provides employment opportunities for other tenants, primarily women. The employment portion of the effort has been characterized as a successful and effective welfare to work program.

Fred Mondragon has been a passionate and effective advocate for New Mexico entrepreneurs in his role as the Director of Albuquerque’s Office of Economic Development, which earned him the Entrepreneurial Advocate of the Year Award. While director, he has focused Albuquerque’s economic development efforts in the areas of resource development, sustainable economic planning and small business programs. In addition to his recent service to Albuquerque, Mr. Mondragon has a long and distinguished career in numerous public and private endeavors including serving three terms as a New Mexico legislator. His record of service, leadership and vision recently led to his appointment as the new Cabinet Secretary for the state’s Economic Development Department, a well-deserved position which will continue to benefit the business community throughout New Mexico.