Patricia Holland-Branch
5203 Wimbledon Way
El Paso, Texas 79932

October 2007

Patricia, CEO of Facilities Connection, Inc. founded the company in 1987 (initially incorporated as Patricia Z. Holland, Contract Design, Inc.). She was born in Chihuahua, Chihuahua Mexico and is a naturalized citizen of the U.S.A. Patricia did her undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at El Paso and the University of Alaska in Anchorage. She graduated from El Paso Community College with an Associate in Interior Design Technology and has attended extensive professional interior design and business management courses the past twenty years.

Starting as a home-owned business, Patricia focused on providing interior design solutions for small to medium-sized businesses. In 1989, Patricia married David R. Branch. He joined the company in 1990. With the growing demands for quality office furniture, Patricia and Dave expanded their office furniture dealership and design services regionally into Mexico and Southern New Mexico.

Today, Facilities Connection, Inc. is a certified member of the U. S. Small Business Administration 8(a) program and has their own GSA Comprehensive Furniture Management Services Contract. They also have a mentor/protégé agreement between FC and their largest supplier, Haworth, the largest global manufacturer of office furniture. Because of the certifications and relationships plus a 20 year history, the company enjoys opportunities throughout the country and internationally.

To offer a complete service package, the company expanded its service and product capabilities as a comprehensive furniture management service provider. Services include:

1.Product purchasing
2.Interior design and project management
3.Installations and move management
4.Logistics
5.Carpet installations and lift systems
6.Carpet and upholstery maintenance.

Facilities Connection’s client base is extensive, from general office environment to healthcare, government facilities, educational, and manufacturing facilities. The company recently renovated their building and adjacent warehouses located at 240 E. Sunset and 226 E. Sunset in West El Paso. They employ 31 full time people in El Paso. In order to concentrate on their core competencies, their HR, IT, and Accounting services area outsourced to local professional firms.

Patricia is a professional member of International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and is a licensed professional designer through the Texas State Board of Architectural Examiners.

Patricia serves on the Corporate Board for the El Paso Electric Company, the Regional Economic Development Corporation (REDCO) Board of Directions, and is an active member of Paso Del Norte, a 300 plus regional executive leadership business organization. For the past four years, she has served on the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation Board of Directors and Hospice of El Paso Foundation Board. Facilities Connection, Inc is a member of U.S. Green Building Council. Patricia serves as a founding board member of the Chihuahua Desert USGBC local chapter. The company is also a member of the National Association of Builders.

During Patricia’s six year term as a Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas/El Paso Branch, she was the Chairman of the Board in 1996, 1998 and 1999. Under Governor Bush, she served a 4-year term on the Governing Board of the Texas Department of Economic Development. She was the chairman of the Texas Border Trade Committee and Vice Chairman of the Small Business Advisory Committee. In 2006, the SBA again recognized the company. In 1996 Patricia was honored as the SBA District Minority Small Businessperson of the Year Award and UTEP Family Business Center named HB/PZH 1997 Family Business of the year for Small Business.

As a founding member of the World Trade Center El Paso/Juarez, she served for many years on its Board of Directors. She was one of the first board
members to serve on the Paso Del Norte Health Foundation Board of Directors. She has served for over 15 years on the El Paso Community College Interior Design Department Advisory Board and was an Advisory Board Member of the University of Texas at El Paso School of Business .for six years.

In 1994, Patricia became the first woman Chairman of the Board of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce and remains active in the Armed Forces Committee. And today, she is the only woman who has served in this capacity.

In 1995, Patricia was recognized by The El Paso Times as one of “El Paso’s Most Influential Women.” She was the SBA 1994 Minority Women-Owned Business Advocate of the Year. In 1993 she was the recipient of the YWCA Reach Award for Entrepreneurship and the Rio Grande Purchasing Council 1993 Woman-Owned business of the Year. She is also a member of the Executive Forum, an executive women’s networking organization.

Patricia and her husband and business partner, Dave, have five children and nine grandchildren. She and her husband attend St. Francis Episcopal Church. Her hobbies include family activities such as skiing and enjoying her 9 grandchildren and grown children and their spouses. She loves her profession, community service and believes that the El Paso regions is a great place to live, work and raise a family.