James B. Evans, Director

James B. Evans is the Director of the University of Houston Hurricane Business Recovery Center. He manages a staff of seven employees who are engaged in revitalizing businesses throughout the Upper Texas Gulf Coast that were severely impacted by Hurricane Ike. 

Mr. Evans has been a business consultant affiliated with the University of Houston Small Business Development Center Network for 16 years.  In 1998, Mr. Evans received the Star Performer Award from the National Association of Small Business Development Centers. In 2000, the Houston District Office of the U. S. Small Business Administration named Mr. Evans the Small Business Advocate of the Year. In 2001, Mr. Evans was promoted to Assistant Region Director of the UH Small Business Development Center Network after having served for several years as Director of the Metropolitan Small Business Development Center. Mr. Evans was previously employed for more than twenty years in commercial banking and lending. He was responsible for international accounts, national accounts (Fortune Five Hundred companies) and middle market accounts. Mr. Evans holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Texas Southern University, with a concentration in Finance, and a Bachelor’s Degree from The University of North Texas, with a concentration in Finance.

Elissa E. Rodriguez, Program Coordinator

Elissa Rodriguez is the Program Coordinator for HBRC. She is a graduate of the University of Houston’s C.T. Bauer College of Business, and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance. Prior to joining the HBRC team, Ms. Rodriguez worked in the training department of the UH Small Business Development Center.

Brandesha Omoniyi, Financial Consultant

Brandesha Omoniyi is a financial consultant for HBRC.  A graduate of Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Brandesha joined the staff at HBRC after working at Regions Bank in both corporate and business banking in the roles of corporate credit analyst and business relationship manager. Her accounting and finance background provides the perfect foundation for helping HBRC’s clients achieve their financial goals.



Charles Capers, Financial Consultant

Charles Capers is a financial consultant with HBRC.  He is a graduate of the Ohio University School of Business, and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance, with a minor in marketing.  Mr. Capers has over twenty years of experience in commercial banking, portfolio management, and client service.  He has worked as a vice-president for some of Houston’s largest financial institutions, with a focus on small business and community based banking, and has been involved for many years with various chambers of commerce and community organizations. 






Renee Tichavsky, Marketing Consultant

Renee Tichavsky is HBRC’s marketing consultant. Her professional experience includes marketing and business development, as well as project and operations management in various industries. A small business owner herself, Renee understands the many challenges faced by entrepreneurs in today’s economy. She holds a Master of Science degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Texas at Austin.








Detra Cunningham, Technology Consultant

Detra Cunningham is the IT and general business consultant for the HBRC.  In the course of earning her degree in Information Systems technology at the University of Houston, she worked at the UH Small Business Development Center for six years in many different roles.  After completing her MBA, Detra worked for Flextronics, an electrical equipment and computer manufacturing company that gave her an understanding of technology, both inside and out. 





Douglas Baumann, Retail Management Consultant

HBRC’s retail marketing consultant Douglas Baumann has more than 21 years of experience in retail management. After spending more than a decade in various management positions with a large, national retail outlet, Douglas opened, owned and operated a men’s clothing store on The Strand in Galveston, Texas. He holds a BBA in Marketing from Texas A&M University. His areas of expertise include buying, merchandising management, and store operations.





Julia Schonert, Training Coordinator

Julia Schonert is HBRC’s training coordinator. Previously, Ms. Schonert was a training and development supervisor for a large NASA subcontractor. Her professional experience includes instructional systems design, training needs analysis, and program assessment. Ms. Schonert holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Texas A&M University, and a Master of Psychology with a specialty in Industrial Organizational Psychology from the University of Houston.





Terri B. Parris, Public Relations Manager

Terri Bailey Parris serves as the public relations and communications manager for the HBRC. She is a veteran communications professional with experience in writing, media relations, television production, and public affairs. Prior to becoming part of HBRC, Ms. Parris was a media consultant and owner of a communications firm. She is a graduate of the University of Houston’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in French, with a minor in Radio and Television Studies. 




Chris King, Accounting Consultant

Chris King holds a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, Houston, TX.  Her professional experience includes small business development, implementation and the oversight of all phases of accounting which include general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, bank reconciliation, cash flow and tax preparation.  With more than 25 years’ experience using a variety of accounting software packages, Chris brings a wealth of experience to the HBRC.  A small business owner herself, she understands her clients’ needs and is able to assist them with comprehensive accounting procedures using QuickBooks Software. 





Paul Stafford, Risk Management Consultant

Paul E. Stafford is HBRC’s Risk Management and Business Continuity Consultant. With over 21 years’ experience in the field, he has developed Business Continuity protocols for both large and small enterprises, and has managed disaster recovery teams across the country. Paul has served as a National Claims Manager for large insurance carriers and has provided loss control and mitigation services for businesses of all sizes. His background makes him a great resource for any small business owner wanting to be prepared for any kind of business interruption.

Paul lives in Missouri City, Texas, with his wife and their three children. He is a graduate of Texas Tech University, where he received a BS in International Trade.