The Principle Partnering Group (The PPG) is lead by a team of dedicated individuals with decades of combined knowledge and experience in developing, training and growing small businesses. The team’s Community Equity, derived from its historical involvement, allows The PPG access to community and business decision-makers for the benefit of its clients.

Darryl L. King, CEO

Founded by Mr. King and Ms. Karen Becerra, The PPG is a premiere multi-faceted professional services firm that offers objective solutions, high-end management consulting, administration and support services across all business segments. Categorized as world-class with its multi-certified team of professionals, the Company was founded on Mr. King’s commitment to adhering to developing Historically Under-utilized Businesses. As an entrepreneur, community leader, advisor, and coalition builder, Mr. King has challenged Houston’s economic development initiatives to include opportunities for securing business contracts—not just jobs for the city’s minority communities. Mr. King created the "30% MINORITY PARTICIPATION" effort that challenged referendum based venues to adopt an aggressive minority participation program to encourage minority voter turnout in the referendum process. He wrote and helped negotiate the agreements that established benchmarks for SB/DBE participation with Minute Maid Park and the Toyota Center Arena.

The value proposition that the multi-certified, professionals of The PPG offer to its diverse client base is decades of experience in business development, program management, project administration, community outreach, and public relations. “And they all share my passion for small business advocacy,” says Darryl.

Still considered a community activist, Mr. King holds important board positions and/or memberships with numerous professional, political, non-profit and faith-based organizations including the Greater Houston Visitors and Conventions Bureau, Greater Houston Partnership, and the Houston Arts Alliance. Mr. King has previously served as a Board Member of the Houston Super Bowl XXXVIII Host Committee, the Houston 2012 Olympic Committee, the Greater Houston Area Hotel and Motel Association, the Texas State Restaurant Association, and the Houston Restaurant Association. He is a former Chairman of the Board for the Houston Urban League, and has served for five years as Chairman of the Intercontinental Airport Merchants Association.

Learn more about Darryl King

Karen C. Becerra
SBE/DBE Program Advisor
Communications and Public Outreach

A dedicated community activist, a champion for small business, and sought-after business consultant, Ms. Becerra’s entrepreneurial career spans over twenty-five years of evaluating and developing programs designed to drive small and disadvantaged business initiatives. Moving between City Hall and boardrooms with ease, Ms. Becerra is called upon equally to perform due-diligence assignments for the private sector and for non-profit/community based organizations. “I meet business initiatives that originate from private enterprise with as much vigor as the non-profit ones. If they work, the real benefit to the community is economic development and job creation,” says Ms. Becerra.

Equally as important to Karen as economic development is promoting educational development and keeping families intact. A graduate of Houston Community College, Ms. Becerra serves on the board of The Tejano Center for Community Concerns and describes its profile as offering, “…varied programs that create ‘whole’ families by helping them help themselves, enabling them to become homeowners, taking care of their illnesses, and providing them with educational opportunities.” A true public servant, Karen chairs several boards including the Houston/Galveston Area Council, GHCVB, and the Houston Small Business Development Corporation. Ms. Becerra was honored during Hispanic Heritage Month, 2006 with a humanitarian award for her contributions to the Hispanic Community.

Karen is a principal at The Principle Partnering Group, (The PPG), a management consulting firm. Karen is most excited about joining The PPG Principal/CEO Mr. Darryl King as the firm’s focus of fostering economic and community development is Karen’s passion. The firm was recently named Program Advisor to the leading contractor for Phase II of the METRO’s Light Rail project where Karen is developing and executing several programs that will drive SB/DBE contract participation to the project.

Learn more about Karen Becerra

Chris Wade
Director
People Source Division

Chris Wade is a successful entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in sales management, business development and human resources. Mr. Wade also has an equally extensive and impressive background of service to church, community and non-profit organizations. For the past 20 years his efforts have focused on executive and diversity requirements for the engineering/construction, telecommunications, energy, legal, IT and non-profit industries. His client list includes Marathon Oil, Nature Conservancy, KBR, United States Cellular, and ESPN. Mr. Wade’s representative list of clients also include middle and senior management positions for AT&T, ExecuCell (a cellular industry recruitment firm), GTE Mobilnet, and Illinois Bell.

Otis Johnson, Project Manager

Mr. Otis Johnson brings over thirty years of project management experience to The Principle Partnering Group, LLC-- Program Advisors to Parsons Transportation Group, and primary contractor to METRO’s Light Rail Project. Otis brings particular expertise in the areas of business process re-engineering, customer satisfaction, quality assurance, and IT management. He has held high-level managerial/engineering positions for several global computer companies including, IBM, Wang Laboratories, and Siemens-Nixdorf Information Systeme A.G., Europe’s largest computer company in the early 1990’s.

A Senior Business/Financial Consultant with Battle and Associates, LLC for the past fifteen years, Mr. Johnson has provided project management services to the banking industry, government, and non-profit business segments. His client list includes The World Bank where he successfully transitioned the financial institution’s entire Africa region from its obsolete MS DOS operating system to a fully integrated MS Windows environment; the Department of Defense, the U.S. Patent and Trade Office, the DC Lottery and Charitable Games.

Mr. Johnson is a graduate of Lake Forest College with a B.S. Degree in Physics. He shares his passion for design and implementation with the communities where he lives and works. During his tenure in Africa, Otis launched a non-profit in Ghana that funds purchases of up to date equipment in schools and hospitals. He has mentored at-risk youth children in Washington DC area high schools. Mr. Johnson also volunteers as a computer instructor for several schools and churches.

Debbie Anders, Senior Consultant

Debbie Anders works with The PPG’s SBE/DBE Program and Community Outreach Events and programs. She is a successful, results-oriented business development professional with more than 30 years of proven success in identifying opportunities for accelerated growth and sustained corporate revenue. She has the ability to develop and implement partnerships, capitalizing on unique client strengths. She has expertise with national and small business firms in the engineering, aviation, surface transportation, civil, construction, security, environmental, technology, mechanical, electrical and plumbing industries. She is recognized for political and public relations involvement and active participation in campaigns and fundraisers at local, state and federal levels. She is recognized for community outreach and civic activity throughout Houston and Texas.

Ms. Anders comes to The PPG following the successful operation of her own consulting firm and her experience as director of business development for Ross & Baruzzi, a top design and construction firm where she gained $50 million in new public sector sales through the development of new and existing relationships with key accounts and executing newly developed sales proposals. Her client list included the Port of Houston and METRO.

Star Perez, Client Relations

Star Perez has 10 years of administrative experience with an Associate of Applied Science degree. She has strong office/clerical skills with a background in accounts payable/receivables, excellent communication, organizational and written skills. Her background is in verification clerking for Liberty Screening Services and with DWG CPA providing administrative support. She has been with The Principle Partnering Group since June of 2006. She possesses excellent skills in supporting The PPG in monitoring SBE/DBE participation. Ms. Perez is responsible for maintaining individual files for each participant; preparing monthly reports, invoice reports and final reports of contract activities; and providing financial administration as it relates to preparation and maintenance of accounting, banking services, job cost and payroll. She assists minority and women-owned businesses to become certified as HUB firms by TBPC as well as conducts regular meetings with general contractors and subcontractors, assessing the progress of ongoing projects. Ms. Perez monitors and reviews monthly payments made to HUBs, verifies receipt of the HUB subcontractor’s Letter of Intent, monitors HUB’s Tax ID numbers for changes that could adversely affect MDACC’s good faith efforts and also monitors compliance of the prime contractor.

 

Marisol Rodriguez

Marisol Rodriguez is responsible for diverse outreach within The PPG’s constituency base.

Formerly with the office of State Senator Rodney Ellis, she was accountable for all Spanish speaking casework and constituents relating to state jurisdiction. In addition, she handled major events for Senate District 13 and other special projects assigned. During legislative session as Chief Clerk and Policy Advisor, Ms. Rodriguez was responsible for the process of bills going through the Government Organization Committee. She performed various analytical tasks by researching issues, preparing legislation, and managing and monitoring legislative activity. She drafted numerous policy analysis reports and bills for legislative consideration. She met with various constituents and organizations who addressed concerns regarding current and future legislation.

Prior to her experience with Sen. Rodney Ellis, Ms. Rodriguez was the District Director for State Representative Ana Hernandez, where she developed all press communications, talking points and speeches, and managed constituency assistance. She successfully cultivated relationships with the staffs of other elected officials, community organizations and boards within District 143. Ms. Rodriguez’ career also includes serving as administrative assistance to Commissioner Sylvia R. Garcia of Harris County Precinct Two.

Marisol Rodriguez holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota, where she majored in Political Science and minored in Ethnic Studies.

Lishia Caldwell, Communications Specialist

Ms. Caldwell is the Administrative assistant for The PPG program advisors and is responsible for maintaining the files for each participant; assisting in monthly communications and preparing monthly reports; providing administrative support and helping monitor SBE/DBE participation as part of the METRO North Intermodal Project. Clients served include Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut & Kuhn Artchitects, New York, NY; TCB/ACOM, Houston, TX; and Huitt-Zollars, Houston, TX.