Estefanita Rawlings

Estefanita Rawlings serves as the Center Director for the New Mexico Small Business Development Center’s Technology Commercialization Accelerator (TCA) at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, NM. In her role, Estefanita provides guidance to clients on intellectual property matters, offering counseling and education on IP protection strategies. Additionally, she actively promotes cybersecurity awareness to small businesses and residents across New Mexico, helping them safeguard their digital assets.

A proud New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology alumna, Estefanita holds degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics. Before joining the NMSBDC TCA, she built a successful career in education, working for many years as a Senior Data Analyst and Senior Programmer Analyst.

Hope Shimabuku

Hope Shimabuku serves as Regional Director of the USPTO’s Southwest Regional Outreach Office, guiding agency initiatives and programs across the Southwest. With nearly 30 years of experience as both an engineer and intellectual property attorney, she held leadership roles at Xerox and BlackBerry, and engineering positions at Procter & Gamble and Dell. Shimabuku is active in the Texas legal and business community, sitting on several boards and earning accolades such as the Justice David Wellington Chew Award and the Women’s Leadership Award from the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

George Thuronyi

George Thuronyi has served as deputy director of the Office of Public Information and Education at the U.S. Copyright Office since 2018, where he helps communicate copyright law to the public through education, outreach, and official materials. He has been with the Office since 1999, holding multiple leadership roles and contributing to its public-facing initiatives.

He previously worked at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, helping develop early digital access tools like Web-Braille. Thuronyi holds a journalism degree from the University of Maryland and has a background in public relations and communications.

Reynaldo D. Vasquez

Reynaldo D. Vasquez is the Southwest Regional Outreach Officer for the USPTO, where he leads stakeholder engagement across eight states. Prior to joining the USPTO, he served with the U.S. Small Business Administration focusing on economic development and international trade. Vasquez also worked with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and continues to serve in the U.S. Army National Guard. He holds degrees in Business Management and Business Administration from UTRGV and brings expertise in real estate management, entrepreneurship development, and trade financing to his role.

Judy Hendricks

Judy Hendricks has served as a Project Manager for the New Mexico Small Business Assistance Program for many years, helping match small businesses with the right scientists and engineers to address their unique needs. She brings valuable experience from small biotechnology firms and start-up companies, giving her strong insight into the challenges and opportunities small businesses face.

Contact Information:

(505) 362-8944

jkhendr@sandia.gov

https://www.nmsbaprogram.org