About EComm

Ecological Communications Corporation (EComm) is an organization of professional scientists with extensive environmental consulting and regulatory experience. EComm's principals' experience as managers of regulatory agency programs gives EComm the necessary insight to address complex regulatory issues. Our experience and expertise in the municipal, industrial, and commercial sectors, meanwhile, provides our clients with the diverse perspective and understanding needed to develop effective solutions to environmental concerns. This combined regulatory and consulting experience creates within EComm a solid foundation for providing professional environmental services throughout Texas and most regions of the United States.

EComm Philosophy

Effective communication is imperative to success. The founders of EComm believe that most problems in life, whether in business or personal situations, occur as the result of poor communication. We recognize that as a consulting firm, we are paid for our scientific expertise and our ability to effectively communicate that technical expertise on behalf of our clients to a wide variety of interests including regulatory agencies, law firms, board members, financial institutions, even the public and the media. But EComm's philosophy extends beyond the ultimate final report/product. For us, communication begins at the start of the project and continues throughout. It also involves communicating within the firm, among members of the project team and corporate management, in addition to communication between the client and EComm. It is this constant dialogue and feedback throughout the project that truly sets EComm apart from ordinary consulting firms. This philosophy is so important to this firm that the word "communication" is included as part of the company's name.

Company History

Late in the summer of 1998, in the middle of the dot-com boom, Victor Palma and Jill Madden combined their expertise to form EComm. With both of them having begun their environmental careers in the early 1980's, and having excelled in both the regulatory and consulting sectors of the industry, that combined experience and expertise was formidable.

Getting to Day 1

Victor began his career 18 years earlier, as a Biological Aide with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Fish Hatchery and Research Center in San Marcos, Texas. In the ensuing years, he would continue serving in the public/regulatory sector, having tenures with the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). At the LCRA, Victor worked in the agency's environmental laboratory providing him with experience in the analysis of laboratory results that would serve him well throughout his career. The bulk of his time in the public sector, however, was spent at the TPWD. Victor originally served as a "Spill and Kills" biologist throughout a 44-county portion of northeast Texas for the Department's Resource Protection Division. It was his job to investigate various pollution complaints, fish/wildlife kills, or other incidents that might affect the State's natural resources. In addition, he routinely reviewed and provided Departmental comments on various documents and permit applications from other regulatory agencies. After four years in East Texas, Victor was promoted to the Austin headquarters where he served as the Field Response Coordinator for TPWD, helping coordinate Resource Protection investigations state-wide. At that time he also served on a number of interagency committees, directed the Texas Interagency Acid Rain Working Group, and headed the Department's Selenium Monitoring Program. In addition, he administered the Departments compliance with Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), including overseeing Department's Title III responsibilities, and served as a representative for the TPWD on the State Emergency Response Council (SERC). Eventually, Victor left the TPWD for the TDA, where he directed the Department's Endangered Species Pilot Program - assessing the potential effects of various biocides on the State's threatened and endangered plants and animals, and helping to draft guidelines for special use exemptions. In addition, Victor served on interagency policy-oriented committees, including Ground Water Protection Committee (Best Management Practices Subcommittee), Nonpoint Source Advisory Committee (Agricultural Chemicals Subcommittee), Toxic Substances Coordinating Committee (Fish Sampling Advisory Subcommittee), Texas Natural Resources Information System Task Force, and at meetings for the Balcones Canyonlands Habitat Conservation Plan. The culmination of this experience helped Victor to become one of Texas' leading experts in environmental and water quality impact analyses.

Jill, meanwhile, began her career with the TPWD before moving on to what was then called the Texas Department of Water Resources (currently the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality [TCEQ]). Jill began her career as an Environmental Quality Specialist and then moved on to serve as the Assistant Chief of Special Programs and finally as the Legislative Coordinator. Responsibilities as the Legislative Coordinator included the preparation and coordination of legislative reports, bill analyses, and information requests to legislative members. Additional duties included the development, training, and implementation of internal legislative programs such as a legislative monitor program, multiple automated tracking systems, and the TWC State Employee Incentive Program. Upon entering the consulting arena in 1990, Jill work as an Environmental Scientist and then served as the Natural Resources Program Director for the Austin office for an international consulting firm. Over the consulting years, Jill has worked on a variety of environmental documents, including National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Assessments (EAs), Programmatic EAs, Categorical Exclusions, Environmental Information Documents, and Environmental Impact Statements. With over 20 years directly preparing, managing, and coordinating nearly 1,000 various forms of environmental documents, reports, and permits, Jill is well-versed in regulatory and compliance issues and is recognized as a comprehensive NEPA expert, excelling at identifying potential impacts to environmental resources.

Thus on September 1, 1998, in a small office - where if one would back up their chair, they would bump into the back of the other one - EComm was born. By 2000, when many of the 1990's high tech firms and dot-com companies had either begun to falter or had yet to turn a profit, EComm began to hit its stride.

The next 10 years marked a Decade of Excellence for EComm -- A few of the key moments over the past 10 years include:

• Receiving 8(a) status after only five months in business. EComm's first client was the Joint Task Force Six Organization located at Fort Bliss. Other Federal work followed shortly thereafter with projects for the U.S. Corps of Engineers (USACE) Fort Worth District and Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio.
• EComm first full time employee was hired after nine months and the company began to grow.
• Our first million dollar contract was with Duke Engineering and Services as a subcontractor to Austin Energy to provide technical support services in the telecommunications industry.
• In 2001, EComm expanded its services to include archeology and cultural resource management. This program has now grown to over 30 staff members.
• EComm's first Indirect/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Delivery Order Contract was awarded in 2002. This contract was to provide archeological services to the USACE Piney Woods office in East Texas.
• In 2004, EComm was awarded a five-year IDIQ contract by Fort Hood for archeological services.
• In 2004, EComm's President, Victor Palma, was recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration's San Antonio District as the Minority Small Businessman of the Year.
• In 2004, as a result of efforts to expand our markets, EComm was awarded a 2-year TxDOT evergreen contract to provide services for the Fort Worth District.
• Excellence in NEPA work being recognized by regulatory agencies including the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
• In 2006, EComm's services again expanded to include Historic Architecture, leading to the award of a five-year IDIQ contract for Fort Bliss.
• In 2007, EComm expanded again by opening the first branch office in Las Cruces, New Mexico. This office serves the southwestern portion of the U.S. and in particular, White Sands Missile Range and Fort Bliss.
• By 2007, EComm's reputation for excellence had expanded to the point that the firm was a listed subcontractor on over 85 other TxDOT contracts.
• In 2008, EComm was recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration's San Antonio District as the 8(a) Graduate Firm of the Year.
• In 2009, EComm was directed awarded two $2 million TxDOT contracts by the ENV - one to provide complete environmental documentation services statewide, and the other to provide statewide cultural resources consulting services.

Contracts

Selected Client List