Maria joined the North TX RCIC in December 2007 as Director of Stakeholder Relations.  Her main role is to develop partnerships with the Institutes of Higher Education, financing partners, small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures as well multiple service and government agencies to promote the Emerging Technology Fund in the North Texas region.  Before joining the North Texas RCIC, Maria was a Project Manager for the statewide Cluster Initiative through the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).  In addition to her work with the state, on a regional level, Maria worked for the Richardson Economic Development Partnership as a research and cluster market project manager.  Previously to her work in the public sector, she spent time in private industry with a start-up company Cornerstone Information Technologies as Director of Operations and with her own firm Benchmark Technologies, Inc.  

Maria received her BAH from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.