About Us

Shawn Patton,
Chief Executive Officer
shawn@austinmarketresearch.com

Rita McKay,
Partner / Chief Operating Officer
rita@austinmarketresearch.com

Sarah Romo de Vivar,
Partner / Chief Financial Officer / Director of Bilingual Studies / Bilingual Moderator
sarah@austinmarketresearch.com

Patti LaGuire,
Director of Field Services / Project Manager
patti@austinmarketresearch.com

Shawn A. Jefferson,
Database Administrator / Website Administrator
jefferson@austinmarketresearch.com

Phil LaGuire,
Supervisor / Special Projects Manager
phil@austinmarketresearch.com

Linda Watts,
Accounts Manager
linda@austinmarketresearch.com

Shawn Patton worked at First Market Research for nine years doing both quantitative and qualitative research. She began as a quantitative research interviewer and eventually moved on to qualitative research, which is where most of her experience lies. Shawn’s resume also includes 13 years of prior experience in retail management, client and customer relations, and record-breaking company sales.

During Shawn’s tenure in the qualitative research department of First Market Research, she performed a wide variety of job functions. In 1993, when she first began working in the department, there were only two staff members. Due to the quality of their recruiting, the ability to satisfy their clients’ needs, and the rising popularity of focus groups and usability testing, the number of full time staff quickly tripled in size. Additional part-time employees were also needed to handle the ever-increasing workload.

When the qualitative department at First Market Research expanded, Shawn was promoted to Assistant Director of Focus Groups and ultimately became the Director of Qualitative Research.

Shawn’s breadth of experience working with projects from their inception to completion gives her the insight needed to proactively ensure the success of any project, regardless of its difficulty. Her knowledge also gives her the ability to provide lower costs to the client while still maintaining profitability and achieving higher growth.