Bennie Gonzales named program manager of Laboratory's Small Business Office

Contact: Steve Sandoval, (505) 665-9206 (00-023)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Feb. 23, 2000 -- Bennie Gonzales is the new program manager of the Small Business Office of the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Earlier this month the Small Business Office was elevated from the Procurement Group to report directly to Los Alamos' Business Operations Division director.

Gonzales is currently group leader of the Laboratory's Business Support Services Group, a post he has held since 1993. He joined Los Alamos in 1984 in the former Materials Management Division.

"I am really honored by this opportunity," Gonzales said of his new assignment. "One of my goals is to ensure that the office is viewed as very responsive to the needs of the small business community while ensuring that the best interests of the Laboratory and its technical programs are being served."

One of Gonzales' first tasks as Small Business Office program manager is to lead a Northern New Mexico conference for small businesses, March 14 at Northern New Mexico Community College in Española.

"As Los Alamos revamps its Small Business Office to be more active in procurement and economic development in the region, Bennie will play an important role in ensuring that the Laboratory use a best practices approach to meeting these goals," Business Operations Division Director Allan Johnston said Tuesday in announcing the appointment.

While at Los Alamos, Gonzales conducted training courses for small business including a very popular two-day workshop on responding to government and Laboratory Requests for Proposals. He is in the process of publishing a manual that will be available to small business on how to respond to such RFPs. Gonzales also was special staff assistant to the former Associate Director of Operations.

Other achievements include leading the effort to build a community center in his community by writing grant proposals and working closely with legislators and county government officials. He is now working to establish a regional land use project for the several communities adjacent to Tesuque.

Gonzales has received three government special achievement awards, a Air Force Contracting Civilian of the Year Award and three Los Alamos Distinguished Performance Awards.

A Tesuque native, Gonzales graduated from Santa Fe High School in 1968. Gonzales served in the U.S. Air Force from 1969 to 1973, and was stationed in Germany.

He earned a bachelor's degree in business from Park College while working for the U.S. Air Force. He then served as a civil servant for the Air Force in procurement as a contracting officer for the Nellis Air Force Base Contracting Directorate in support of the tactical Air Command Electronic Warfare Range contracting requirements at Nellis and Tonapah, Nev.

He also attended the Air Force's Air University at the Air Force Institute of Technology, Dayton, Ohio from 1978 through 1980, where was enrolled in the institute's contracting progressive management program.

The Laboratory's Small Business Office employs six people including two students.

Laboratory Deputy Director for Business Administration and Outreach Joe Salgado earlier this month announced changes in Los Alamos' procurement operations to increase opportunities for regional small businesses and to make the Laboratory a better customer for small businesses.

Some of the other changes to the Small Business Office include assigning procurement authority to SBO to enhance opportunities for regional small businesses to contract with the Laboratory; instituting comprehensive in-house training for buyers to ensure their understanding and support regarding the importance of subcontracting with regional small business; and designating a contact person in the Laboratory's Ombuds Office to provide a confidential, neutral party to assist small businesses with concerns about procurement, technology transfer and other topics.

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