Fall FastTrac Graduates To Be Recognized Dec. 5

by Alan Hunt

The City of Waco, Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce and the John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship at Baylor University will honor graduates of the fall 2002 FastTrac NewVenture program at a graduation ceremony that will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 in the Hankamer School of Business.
Linda Ramirez, director of the McLennan Community College Small Business Development Center, will give the keynote address. Other speakers will include Mary Abrahams, FastTrac program coordinator, and J. David Allen, director of the John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship.
Graduates of the fall session include: DeAnn Beckendorf, Needmore Dairy Products; Nancy Brannon, My Home & Office Inventory Service; Gerald W. Bridger, Rosco's Something Original; Amy Kress, Amy's Party Boxes; Patrick Lynch, Data Vault; Louise Sawyer, Martin & Brothers Publishers; Judy and Rich Steward, JC's Designs; Theresa Strain, The Smart Start; and Kenneth Tyler, Eunique Productions.
The John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship and several FastTrac graduates will sponsor an alumni/graduate reception. Alumni sponsors are Max Kee of the Kee Corp. Inc.; Bruce Harrell of Harrell Residential GMAC Real Estate; and Joe Chatham of Trautschold Millwork Co. Inc.
Designed to help entrepreneurs launch or grow their company wisely, successfully and profitably, FastTrac has been holding classes in Waco since 1996. All FastTrac training programs combine interactive instruction with one-on-one coaching, peer learning, guest speakers and comprehensive workbooks.
FastTrac Entrepreneurship NewVenture graduates are individuals who are planning to start new businesses or whose companies are in the start-up phase. Graduates of the FastTrac Entrepreneurship Planning program are existing entrepreneurs or those who have owned a business for more than two years. NewVenture is a nine-week course and FastTrac Planning is an 11-week course. Both courses are held on Tuesdays from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Hankamer School of Business.
A national program, FastTrac is co-sponsored by the John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship in Baylor's Hankamer School of Business, the City of Waco and the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with McLennan Community College, Small Business Development Center/Business Resource Center, Texas State Technical College and the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Applications for the spring semester FastTrac program are now being accepted. For more information, call (254) 710-4157 or (254) 710-4159.