Our Team The Planning Team
Meet the leaders of our organization. The core Planning team is a small group with a wide variety of skills. As authorities in their respective areas, they manage the daily operations of our company with focus and integrity.
Al Zapanta, Owner, President, CEO
A Los Angeles native, Albert Zapanta is Chairman and Owner of Planning, Inc. a human resources, training and security company doing business with the U.S. Federal Government for over 40 years. He is also President and CEO of the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, which operates 10 regional offices in the United States and 9 in Mexico.
He worked in upstream operations of Atlantic Richfield Co. (ARCO Oil & Gas) and retired as Director of Governmental Affairs for ARCO where he was responsible for negotiations with U.S. and Mexican (PEMEX) governments on oil and gas matters and coordinated ARCO’s effort to deregulate the natural gas market which became law, the Natural Gas Policy Act (NGPA). Mr. Zapanta has held numerous Presidential appointments, including White House Fellow, Special Assistant to Secretary of U.S. Department of Transportation; Senate-confirmed Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Management and Administration, U.S. State Department Advisory Committee on International Trade Technology and Development, and private sector delegate to the U.S.-Mexico Partnership for Prosperity. U.S. Secretary of Defense, Donald H. Rumsfeld, appointed Gen. Zapanta as Chairman of the Reserve Forces Policy Board (RFPB). Gen. Zapanta was appointed Chief of Staff for the Peacekeeping Mission United Nations Referendum on Western Sahara. Military officers and soldiers from the USSR, People’s Republic of China, Great Britain and France served under his command. Gen. Zapanta’s military record includes the award of the Silver Star, 5 Bronze Stars for Valor, Purple Heart, and 30 other awards during the Vietnam War. He was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal for Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Restore Hope in Somalia and Restore Democracy in Haiti. Gen. Zapanta retired from the U.S. Army with 36 years of service.
He served on the Board of Directors, Tyson Foods as Chairman of the Nomination and Governance Committee and retired after 14 years (2003-2016). He is currently a member of the Board of Trustees, President Gerald R. Ford Foundation and Museum; Senior Fellow, Center for Western Hemisphere Defense Studies; Chairman, Hispanic War Veterans of America; Executive Committee Member, National Hispanic Leadership Agenda; Member Advisory Board, Museum of the U.S. Army; Chairman, United States-Mexico Cultural and Educational Foundation, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Dallas, Irving. Texas.
Mr. Zapanta has a BA in Industrial Psychology, MA in Public Administration and has completed work for his PhD in International Political Economics from the University of Southern California. Mr. Zapanta graduated from the Advanced Management Program, Harvard Graduate School of Business; the Inter-American Defense College at the National War College, Washington, D.C. In June 2018, he was elected and reelected in 2021 to serve on the Irving City Council, State of Texas. He and his wife Rochelle have two daughters, a son, and three grandchildren.
Mr. Zapanta provides PLANNING with the necessary guidance, marketing approach, and specific targeting to enhance our current and prospective customer base.
Al Zapanta Owner, President, CEO
Stacie Allen, Training and Program Director
Ms. Allen has over 20 years of federal government contracting experience. Her previous roles at The Boeing Company included serving as a Project Management Specialist. As a part of the program office and systems engineering, she was responsible for acting as interface between customers and teammates to meet requirements for scheduling, change and risk management and transition. In her role as a Financial Analyst, she had the responsibility for the oversight of contract budgets and spending forecasts.
At Planning, Ms. Allen supervises our staff of program coordinators. She is also responsible for assisting in the drafting and reviewing of program contract proposals, maintaining seminar scheduling, updates agency training program requirements including ADA Section 508 Compliant documentation, manages Virtual Training efforts and works with the Program Manager to coordinate and schedule all subject matter experts (SME) presentations. She reports to the senior decision makers (CEO; Sr. VP/COO) on all relevant training program information.
Ms. Allen served in the U.S. Army Reserves for eight years as a Personnel Records Specialist.
Stacie Allen Training and Program Director
Nadia Cross, Finance Director
Ms. Cross heads our accounting department.
Nadia Cross Finance Director
Steve LaPointe, CFO, CPA
Stephen C. LaPointe, CPA, is the Principal for the firm of LaPointe & Company, P.C., Certified Public Accountants. Mr. LaPointe is an alumn of The George Washington University who graduated from Benjamin Franklin University with a Bachelor of Science in Public Accounting in June 1982. He began his accounting career in 1981 with local firms where he rose to partner level until 1999 when Mr. LaPointe formed his own Certified Public Accounting and Management Consulting firm serving clients primarily in the United States of America but also in Central and South America and Europe.
As the Principal, Mr. LaPointe is responsible for planning audit, accounting, tax and consulting engagements for the firm’s clients which include service related industries including the legal and medical professions, not-for-profit organizations, government contracting, wholesale, construction, retail, and all varieties of real estate. He has been involved with small to medium sized businesses throughout his accounting career assisting clients in business development, long-term planning and succession planning. He is exceedingly knowledgeable of generally accepted accounting principles, generally accepted auditing standards and government regulations. Additionally, he is an expert in loan analysis and review, and has assisted in obtaining multi-million dollar financing for the firm’s clients and has been involved in preparing and assisting clients in preparing Private Placement Memorandums for a multitude of projects. Mr. LaPointe also has served as his prior firm’s Quality Control Partner and performed technical review of all audit and accounting engagements. Other duties also include the tax planning, preparation and review of income tax returns for individuals, business entities and retirement trusts, and the ability to develop complex strategies for projects from both a financial side as well as operations perspective.
Mr. LaPointe is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. LaPointe attends seminars in taxation, auditing and accounting regularly and has been qualified to perform audits in accordance with Generally Accepted Government Accounting Standards. Additionally, Mr. LaPointe has been a member of the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts and other State accounting Societies.
He was a founding Director, President and CEO of the United States – Colombia International Chamber of Commerce and the United States – Colombia Cultural & Educational Foundation. These entities were dedicated to bringing increased trade and commerce between the two countries as well as improving the educational options for Colombian students through a student intern program. In this capacity various seminars and conferences were held throughout Colombia to help promote the pending Free Trade Agreement and to educate the Colombians as to how to work with and in the United States of America.
Mr. LaPointe was the former President, CEO, CFO and a founding Member of the Global Blue Technologies Families of Companies that was involved with developing and marketing proprietary technology for developing super colossal shrimp in a bio-secure environment. The various companies consisted of a total vertical integration of companies in the industry including research and development and genetic research. Several of the entities were acquired by a publicly traded company from the UK where Mr. LaPointe served as the Finance Director.
In addition to his professional commitments, Mr. LaPointe has been involved in community services and has served as Director, President and Treasurer of various Homeowner’s Associations and as the Treasurer for other charitable and fraternal organizations.
Steve LaPointe, CPA CFO
Jack Ferguson, Sr. Security Systems Manager
Mr. Ferguson has been working with PLANNING, Inc. since 2010, primarily handling security services and business development. Mr. Ferguson brings high level technical and engineering expertise in the field of security services to the team, having served as one of the original field engineers for Cardkey Systems, Inc. and as a founder of Risk Analysis, a security consultant firm that provided the design and procurement of security systems for clients. Specializing in the federal marketplace, Mr. Ferguson designs integrated Security Surveillance Systems for customer agencies, serves as Project Manager overseeing installation and maintenance services, and provides overall Quality Assurance on each project.
Jack Ferguson Security Systems Manager
Brenda Martha, Deputy Director Training Programs
Ms. Martha was born in Miami, Florida and received her Bachelor’s degree from Florida State University. She relocated to the Northern Virginia area where she worked for Shirley Contracting Company, LLC. in the Human Resources department. As a career move, in September of 2015, Ms. Martha began working for Planning, Inc. as a Program Coordinator until she relocated to Minnesota in 2017. She worked at Hamline University and gained experience as the Senior Department Coordinator.
In July of 2021 she returned to Planning, Inc. as the Deputy Director of Training Programs. She handles coordination for various types of programs as well as booking speakers for the seminars. She also helps with preparation of proposals, editing of program materials, numerous projects, and providing support for online seminars.
Brenda Martha Deputy Director Training Programs
Robert D. Martinez, Attorney
As a litigator, Mr. Martinez has had experience in a diverse range of civil, criminal, arbitration and regulatory arenas. He is also a community leader with extensive board service including leadership, public speaking and general counsel roles.
Mr. Martinez is a sole practitioner, doing business as Robert D. Martinez, PLLC in Irving, Texas. Additionally, serves in and “Of Counsel” role with the Fort Worth law firm of Broude Smith Jennings & McGlinchey, P.C. A medium sized law firm with a general business practice. In addition to his litigation work, he assists clients in avoiding litigation through early claim/case assessment and alternative dispute resolution. He also counsels clients on business organization, risk management and transactional strategies aimed at efficiency, compliance, conflict avoidance and forward-looking documentation strategies. In addition, he advises for-profit and non-profit organizations on Human Resources management and corporate governance issues.
Mr. Martinez began his litigation career as a Trial Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, serving in the Department’s Dallas Field Office and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. While serving the U.S., Robert was honored in 1981 with a department’s Outstanding Trial Attorney award. Following six years of government service, he served as senior trial attorney for law firms in Dallas, and Southfield and Farmington, Michigan.
Mr. Martinez is a member of the Parkland Health & Hospital System’s Board of Managers, Chairing the Governance Compliance & Ethics Committee. He has also chaired the board and continues to serve on the board ex officio, as General Counsel, of the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce. He previously chaired and served on the boards of the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Irving Schools Foundation and Irving Symphony Orchestra Association.
Mr. Martinez received his juris doctor from Wayne State University School of Law in Detroit, Michigan. He received his bachelor’s degree in political Science from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Robert Martinez Attorney
A.C. Zapanta, Security/Program Administrator
Mr. Zapanta was born in Whittier, California and received his Bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University. He was a LAUSD teacher for 8 years in history and computer science. A.C. has taken Education courses at the University of Southern California School of Rossier School of Education and Business training at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. He is constantly continuing to forward his knowledge of any field he partakes in.
In 2019 A.C. began working for Planning, Inc. as a Program Administrator for Training Programs. In 2020 he began to work on the Security side with Jack Ferguson, handling contracts, proposals and day to day operations. He also still helps on the Training side with editing of program materials, numerous projects, and providing support for online seminars.
