As the son of a U.S. Air Force officer, it's probably not surprising that Victor Palma began his career in the public service sector. While pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree at Texas State University in San Marcos, Victor worked as a Biological Aid for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's federal fish hatchery and research station. After graduation, he went on to work for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's (TPWD) Resource Protection Division. During that same period of time, Victor received a Master of Science Degree in Aquatic Biology, also from Texas State. After four years in East Texas, he was promoted to the Department's Field Response Coordinator position at their Austin headquarters. In 1990, Victor left the TPWD to serve as the Ecological Effects Coordinator with the Texas Department of Agriculture.

In 1991 Victor moved from the public sector to the private sector, and his leap into environmental consulting - first with a local/regional firm, Jones and Nuese, Inc.; then with Mariah Associates, Inc. - a multi-state firm headquartered in Laramie, WY. When Mariah was purchased by a national consulting firm, TRC Companies, Victor was promoted to Vice President and continued to hone both his management and technical skills.

In 1998, Victor, co-founded Ecological Communications Corporation (EComm) with Jill Madden, a colleague, who - coincidentally - is also the child of an Air Force officer, and began her career in the public sector as well. Perhaps that common background and shared vision for the company was a key to the firm's success. With Victor as President and Jill as Vice President the two began the immediate pursuit of consulting work, but also had a goal of gaining entry to the 8(a) program as soon as possible. EComm entered the 8(a) program approximately 6 months after start-up, in February 1999. In what seems like such a brief span of time since then, the two-person firm that was started off of credit cards and family loans has blossomed into a multi-million dollar firm, with over 30 staff and offices in two states. EComm has grown steadily since 2004. Victor says, "It was always the firm's belief that dedicated staff, producing a top quality product, and superb client service would persevere. We were right." In 2004, Victor was awarded the 8(a) Minority Small Businessman of the Year Award for the San Antonio District. By the end of 2007, the company has doubled in size in one year, moved the Austin headquarters to office space nearly double its previous size, and opened an office in Las Cruces, New Mexico to serve EComm's clients in El Paso and throughout New Mexico.