Aexa’s CEO Named Small Business Champion

Today, Aexa’s president and CEO, Fernando De La Peña Llaca, received the Small Business Champion of the Year Award from the Small Business Administration.

De La Peña champions small businesses through his participation in the community. He is the former chairman of the Johnson Space Center Small Business Council and of the Communications Committee of the Johnson Space Center National Management Associaton. De La Peña also serves on the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP) Board of Directors and is the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce’s former aerospace liaison.

Bob Charlet, market president and publisher of the Houston Business Journal, was the master of ceremonies. Yusef Muhammad, president of the Houston chapter of SCORE, and Timm Jeffcoat, district director of SBA, gave the introductions.

The closing comments were offered by Bob Harvey, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, Harris County judge Lina Hidalgo, and Houston mayor Sylvester Turner.

During the ceremony, De La Peña mentioned that he was extremely honored and grateful to receive the award and share it with his team. “I’m the recipient; however, this is a team effort,” he said.

He also talked about his passion and said that soon we would have a colony on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. He is happy to contribute in some way to that goal.

He said that it was important to have mentors and also important to be one.