Governor Greg Abbott has reappointed Eduardo Contreras, Lisa Fullerton, and Omar Veliz to the Small Business Assistance Advisory Task Force. Their new terms will run until June 14, 2027. The Task Force is responsible for advising the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House on issues related to small businesses and for providing information to the public.
Eduardo Contreras is based in Austin and serves as founder and CEO of ALCON DTS. He has two decades of experience in IT security, networking, telecommunications, and software industries. Contreras participates in several organizations including the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Leadership Council, chairs the Texas European Chamber of Commerce board, and is a member of the ASCII Group.
Lisa Fullerton from San Antonio is president and CEO of A Novel Idea, LLC. Her company operates multiple Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon franchises in San Antonio since 2000. She serves as a director for NFIB, sits on the board of Alliance Defending Freedom, contributes to the Food Pantry of Jeff Davis County Donor Advisory Board, and is a member of Biblical Leadership for Excellence Advisory Board. Fullerton holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Texas State University.
Omar Veliz leads Veliz Construction in El Paso as president and is also a professional engineer. He serves on the executive board for Associated General Contractors of America – Austin Chapter. Veliz previously served on advisory boards at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Construction Management Program and chaired the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board. He earned both his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and Master’s degree in Business Administration from UTEP.
The Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott plays an active role in economic development initiatives such as supporting small businesses through advisory groups like this task force (official website). Under Governor Abbott’s leadership since his election in 2014 (official website), Texas has seen job growth while focusing on economic opportunities (official website). The office operates out of Austin at the State Insurance Building (official website) as part of its work within state government’s executive branch (official website).
