Archive for category: News

Employee of the Quarter – JS J7 Technical Support Team Names Sean Louisin

Each quarter, Knight Federal’s Employee of the Quarter (EOQ) award for the Suffolk, VA location recognizes the outstanding qualities and contributions of employees towards Knight Federal’s goals and mission. Knight Federal recognizes that driven and loyal employees empower an organization.  This fourth quarter the award recipient covers January-March 2020 is Sean Louisin.

Sean is one of four individuals that will receive the award each year. The honor is awarded the beginning of April, July, October and December during the Christmas party for an outstanding employee from the three preceding months.

EOQ 2020 Winner:

January-March – Sean Louisin

Sean ensured a successful data import from the United States Marine Corps Lessons Learned System to Joint Lessons Learned Information System (JLLIS).  He completed this by reviewing the latest requirements that were accepted by both stakeholders and determined the ColdFusion (commercial rapid web-application) JLLIS application needed a few updates to the Task Tracker and Consolidated Document Repository (CDR) modules to support the additional Marine Corps Lessons Learned Program (MCCLL) data.   

Sean added a few extra search result fields to the form as well as to the add/edit/view interfaces to support events, event types, and units.  These fields along with a metadata selection tool were added to the search form to allow further refinement. Sean also reviewed the MCCLL to JLLIS database mappings derived from the database schemas and requirements documentation to import all the battle board (task tracker) and structured document (CDR) data into JLLIS via a collection of SQL (relational database management system with the primary function of storing and retrieving data as requested by other software applications)scripts. To import the MCCLL unstructured documents, Sean was instrumental in creating a ColdFusion import process to read all the documents/files, match them to the correct CDR record and import them into JLLIS.

At the conclusion of the UAT, the JLLIS Program Manager expressed complete satisfaction with the progress made, and truly much of the credit goes to Sean.  In summary, Sean’s performance was exemplary.  His work was completed accurately, without a template to follow, and on time.  In the hundreds of hours Sean devoted to this effort, he demonstrated unsurpassed understanding of software development and ensured the upcoming JLLIS v4.3 Release remained on-schedule.

The Employee of the Quarter will receive:

  • A gift card for $50
  • A framed certificate recognizing their accomplishments
  • A Knight Federal imprinted leather notebook

Nominate an Employee

Complete the EOQ Nomination Form and submit it to the program manager Murray Hess.  Anyone may nominate an employee. Nomination forms may be submitted at any time.   Nominations are due the week before the end of the quarter. 

The Process

The EOQ Committee will meet on a quarterly basis throughout the year. The committee will assure that the nominee meets all of the basic requirements. The committee will consider the following contributing qualities when making the award selection:

  • Longevity and performance
  • Contributions to the Knight Federal community
  • Contributions to his or her office
  • Contributions to the outside community
  • Awards or recognition received

Employee of the Quarter – JS J7 Technical Support Team Names Takeya Miller

Each quarter, Knight Federal’s Employee of the Quarter (EOQ) award for the Suffolk, VA location recognizes the outstanding qualities and contributions of employees towards Knight Federal’s goals and mission. Knight Federal recognizes that driven and loyal employees empower an organization.  This quarter the award recipient covers April-June – 2020 and is awarded to Takeya Miller.

Takeya is one of four individuals that will receive the award each year. The honor is awarded the beginning of April, July, October and December during the Christmas party for an outstanding employee from the three preceding months.

EOQ 2020 Winner:
April – June – Takeya Miller

Takeya has proven to be one of our most reliable Modeling and Simulation operators.  She shows up to work early with a drive that is ready to go as soon as she steps into the building…even without coffee!  She has helped our leading Joint Theater Level Simulation (JTLS) techs to decipher multiple issues with JTLS during exercise times and has helped other techs to understand the quirks in the JTLS model. 

Onboard less than a year, she has quickly mastered the JTLS simulation and is well on her way to mastering our other simulations.  A team player, she has a way to make everyone around her smile; be it with her calm demeanor or infectious laughter.  No other tech has stepped up to learn the ins and outs of the Air Tasking Order (ATO) translation as well as she has. Her continued superior performance has made Takeya’s selection as this quarter’s employee of the quarter a foregone conclusion. 

The Employee of the Quarter will receive:

  • A gift card for $50
  • A framed certificate recognizing their accomplishments
  • A Knight Federal imprinted leather notebook

Nominate an Employee

Complete the EOQ Nomination Form and submit it to the program manager Murray Hess.  Anyone may nominate an employee. Nomination forms may be submitted at any time.   Nominations are due the week before the end of the quarter. 

The Process

The EOQ Committee will meet on a quarterly basis throughout the year. The committee will assure that the nominee meets all of the basic requirements. The committee will consider the following contributing qualities when making the award selection:

  • Longevity and performance
  • Contributions to the Knight Federal community
  • Contributions to his or her office
  • Contributions to the outside community
  • Awards or recognition received

Previous EOQ winners 

2020

January – March – Sean Louisin

Employee of the Quarter – KFS Navy Technical Support Team Names Matt Driscoll

Each quarter, Knight Federal’s Employee of the Quarter (EOQ) award for the Suffolk, VA location recognizes the outstanding qualities and contributions of employees towards Knight Federal’s goals and mission. Knight Federal recognizes that driven and loyal employees empower an organization.  This quarter the award recipient is Matt Driscoll for his exceptional efforts during the period January through March 2020.

Matt has distinguished himself in being able to come up to speed and support more difficult tasking at a well above average rate.  As a result of his demonstrated progress on developing a solid base knowledge level of the technical complexities of the Navy Constructive Training Environment network, he was selected to go to Yokosuka Naval Station, Japan to provide surge support for a major Navy training event in February. He worked independently for a three-week period and was commended by the government. His exceptional performance during this period is a credit to Knight Federal Solutions and the Navy Tech Support Team.

EOQ 2020 Winner:
January – March – Matt Driscoll

The Employee of the Quarter will receive:

  • A gift card for $50
  • A framed certificate recognizing their accomplishments
  • A Knight Federal imprinted leather notebook

Nominate an Employee

Complete the EOQ Nomination Form and submit it to the program manager Murray Hess.  Anyone may nominate an employee. Nomination forms may be submitted at any time.   Nominations are due the week before the end of the quarter. 

The Process

The EOQ Committee will meet on a quarterly basis throughout the year. The committee will assure that the nominee meets all of the basic requirements. The committee will consider the following contributing qualities when making the award selection:

  • Longevity and performance
  • Contributions to the Knight Federal community
  • Contributions to his or her office
  • Contributions to the outside community
  • Awards or recognition received

Previous EOQ winners 

2019

January – March – Carrie Powers

April – June  – James Malony

October – December – Kenneth Rodgers

Employee of the Year Winner

Toby Washington (2018)

2018

October – December – Dave Drake
July – September – Al Williams, Jr.
April – June – Glenn James – J7
January – March – Louis E. Williams

Intern Spotlight – Chase Vosler

Chase Vosler is recognized as a graduate of the Purple Knight Initiative program.  He is recognized for surviving the Joint Staff J7 support team and learning as much as humanly possible through Joint Training Synthetic Environment (JTSE) and Environment Architecture Division (EAD). 

Chase has distinguished himself as an integral member of the EAD team supporting several simulation upgrades and gaining the respect of the JTSE team. He has proven an avid learner and easily trainable.  Chase now enters the field as an experienced contractor and the team at PKI has no doubt he will continue represent Knight Federal well.  Chase has demonstrated those qualities that are the best of our wounded warriors and he has set the standard for those going forward.  Fair Winds and Following Seas.

For more information about the Purple Knight Initiative program, please view our page.

Inc. Magazine Unveils Its First-Ever List of Florida’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies—The Inc. 5000 Series: Florida

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Inc 5000 Series 2020

Knight Federal Earns Spot on the Inaugural List

Inc. magazine revealed that KNIGHT FEDERAL SOLUTIONS is No. 234 on its inaugural Inc. 5000 Series: Florida list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing Florida-based private companies. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Florida economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent small businesses.

“We are thrilled to have earned a spot on first 2020 Inc. 5000 Series: Florida list,” says Chris Baeten, CEO of Knight Federal Solutions.  “This recognition continues to solidify our efforts as a determined team with fantastic partners to achieve impressive growth and profitability.  We credit our entire team for this award!”

The companies on this list show stunning rates of growth across all industries in Florida. Between 2016 and 2018, these 250 private companies had an average growth rate of 302 percent and, in 2018 alone, they employed more than 56,000 people and added $12.6 billion to the Florida economy. Companies based in the Tampa, Miami, and Naples metro areas brought in the highest revenue overall.

Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Series: Florida, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/inc5000-series-florida-2020 starting March 18, 2020.

“The companies on this list demonstrate just how much the small-business sector impacts Florida’s economy,” says Inc. editor in chief Scott Omelianuk. “Across every single industry, these businesses have posted revenue and growth rates that are beyond impressive, further proving the tenacity of their founders and CEOs.”

About Inc. Media

The prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

About Inc. 5000 Regional Series Methodology

The 2020 Inc. 5000 Regional Series is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2016 and 2018. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2016. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2018. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2016 is $100,000; the minimum for 2018 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons.

Knight Federal Exhibits at I/ITSEC 2019

IITSEC Crowd Shot

World’s Largest MS&T Conference Held in Orlando

The Training, Simulation and Modeling Industry has a very important job to do in providing the very best of Training Equipment and Simulation Technologies for our forces in the field, as well as here at home. The Interservice/ Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) is the world’s largest modeling, simulation and training event.

Held near the beginning of December in Orlando, Florida, I/ITSEC consists of peer-reviewed paper presentations, tutorials, special events, professional workshops, a commercial exhibit hall, a serious games competition, and STEM events for teachers and secondary students. I/ITSEC strives to meet the very important and ever changing needs of the warfighter.

The attendees that were present at I/ITSEC understood that training is a core process in a successful and modern business. In these successful organizations, training is continuous, pervasive and institutionalized. These organizations come to I/ITSEC to find the resources that they will need to adapt to the new tasks and threats of tomorrow.

Some of the most innovative companies in the MS&T Industry are present each year at I/ITSEC. Previous exhibit displays have included: Computer-Based 3D graphics, Flight Simulators, Convoy Trainers, SCORM, Information Technology, Advanced Distributed Learning, Aerospace, Communications, Public Safety and many more.

“We were very excited to showcase at I/ITSEC this year. The show floor was really terrific and it was a great opportunity for networking with many customers that we have been fortunate to work with and those that we hope to cultivate more business in the future, ” says Chris Baeten, CEO of Knight Federal Solutions.

  • IITSEC Crowd Shot

Knight Federal Receives the HIRE Vets Medallion Award for its Commitment to Recruiting and Retaining U.S. Military Veterans

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Matthew Herring, Knight Federal's VP Business Development accepts HIRE Vets Platinum Medallion Award from Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations, Sam Shellenberger at the HIRE Vets Awards.
Matthew Herring, Knight Federal’s VP Business Development accepts HIRE Vets Platinum Medallion Award from Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations, Sam Shellenberger at the HIRE Vets Awards.

Knight Federal honored as a veteran-friendly workplace

HVMPD-plat

Knight Federal has received the HIRE Vets Platinum Medallion Award from the U.S. Department of Labor for its commitment to hiring U.S. military veterans. Knight Federal is one of only 6 employers in Florida to receive this recognition.  26 Employers  headquartered in Florida received the Gold award.

“Knight Federal is extremely proud of this achievement,” says Chris Baeten, CEO of Knight Federal Solutions. “Veterans are proven leaders who bring a valuable skill set to our company. We are honored by this recognition of our commitment to advancing veteran careers. And we see investing in veteran-specific programs and resources as an ongoing part of our talent development strategy.”

Committed to veteran hiring and retention

The U.S. Department of Labor launched the HIRE Vets Medallion Program as an effort to recognize employers for their commitment in recruiting, employing and retaining veterans. It is the only veterans hiring award at the federal level. Knight Federal was evaluated based on its veteran hiring and retention practices, availability of veteran-specific resources, leadership programming for veterans, dedicated human resources, and compensation and tuition assistance programs for veterans.

Knight Federal aims to provide civilian careers for military veterans by creating a culture that includes principles that veterans valued in active duty, such as teamwork, taking pride in what you do, valuing new ideas, and an environment that fosters teaching and learning.

Supporting military families

Knight Federal doesn’t just offer support to veterans, but also to their families. Knight Federal understands that a person’s career change can impact their family, too, so it partners with the Department of Defense to connect military spouses with a network of partner employers who are committed to hiring military spouse talent.

A clear strategy for veterans

Shawn Lopez, Program Manager of the Purple Knight Initiative, is a military veteran who has thrived in a career at Knight Federal thanks to the company’s culture and values.

“After military retirement, I longed for an organization whose values aligned with mine. It is evident that Knight Federal has a clear strategy, and I could see how my experience and personal attributes could lend to the organization’s vision and goals,” says Lopez.

Knight Federal has developed the Purple Knight Initiative.  Collaborating with government agencies and their prime contractors, non-profit organizations, corporations and the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, this program provides paid internships to wounded warriors who are looking to learn a new career in fields that are conducive to their disabilities and desires for employment.

“We developed this program to address a critical need by our nation’s combat disabled veterans.  By connecting companies and employers with qualified, impactful and passionate veterans, we can offer hope to advocate, embrace, empower and support them to lead a higher quality of life and be in a better position to support themselves and their families financially,” says Chris Baeten, CEO of Knight Federal.

With the veteran in mind first, Knight Federal Solutions is dedicated to the safety and welfare of the veteran and will do its best to educate, manage, and train all employees on veterans in the workforce, including finding reliable resources for the veteran’s needs.

Join talented individuals like Shawn at Knight Federal

Knight Federal’s services make a difference in the world. And, with many career vacancies available to talented and ambitious candidates, a career with Knight Federal is a smart choice.   Visit our career page for the latest openings!

Intern Spotlight

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Intern SpotlightColin “Wes” Sprouse graduated from the Purple Knight Initiative in support of the Joint Staff J7 support team and learning as much as possible through the Joint Knowledge Online (JKO), as well as the JCT contract.  Sprouse has distinguished himself a subject matter expert for the United States Marine Corps CounterIntel activities and MSEL development. He has proven to be an avid learner and easily trainable.

Sprouse is an accomplished Intelligence professional with a background in collections, analysis and managing intelligence operations.   He has developed decades of research and analytical skills in order to help others recognize, understand and respond to critical events.

“Thank you to all the folks at Knight Federal, Tim Baker, Chris Baeten, Shawn Lopez and especially Mr. Murray Hess for the great opportunity to enter into and benefit from an amazing initiative like the Purple Knight Initiative.  I can’t thank you all enough for what you did for me.  God Bless you all.  What you are doing for servicemen and women vis-à-vis the Purple Knight Initiative is immeasurably vital work and I am eternally grateful to you all,” says Sprouse.

Sprouse has now moved on to a position with Valiant Integrated Services and will continue to represent the team well.  He has demonstrated those qualities that are the best of our wounded warriors and he has set the standard for those going forward.  Fair Winds and Following Seas.

For more information about the Purple Knight Initiative program, please view our page.

Message from the CEO

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I hope everyone was able to enjoy their summer!  We sure did at Knight Federal, where we celebrated our 6th anniversary in May.  The past few months have been very busy for us, as we experienced the most successful quarter since our company’s inception. 

We have continued to grow our presence at the Joint Staff J7 where we were are now supporting the Joint Training Information Management Systems/Joint Lessons Learned Information System (JTIMS/JLLIS) and at the National Media Exploitation Center (NMEC) supporting the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).  We also expanded our capabilities to a new location supporting USARPAC in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

In May, Knight Federal was very humbled to be selected by Northrop Grumman to receive their 2019 World Class Team Supplier Award, an honor bestowed upon only a select few companies in the country. 

We were honored to be recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the 5000 fastest growing companies across the nation.  In addition, the Orlando Business Journal recently announced that KFS was nominated to be on their list of the top 15 Modeling, Simulation, and Training Companies in Central Florida.  All of these recognitions are great, but it is all because of the employees we have that represent our company to the fullest.  Every KFS employee should feel proud of the company you work for and what we represent. 

Keep up the great work everyone and I hope to see you all soon!

Employee of the Quarter – KFS Navy Technical Support Team Names James Malony

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Jim Malony

Each quarter, Knight Federal’s Employee of the Quarter (EOQ) award for the Suffolk, VA location recognizes the outstanding qualities and contributions of employees towards Knight Federal’s goals and mission. Knight Federal recognizes that driven and loyal employees empower an organization.  This second quarter the award recipient covering April-June 2019 is Jim Malony.

James is one of four individuals that will receive the award each year. The honor is awarded the beginning of April, July, October and December during the Christmas party for an outstanding employee from the three preceding months.

EOQ 2019 Winner:

April – June  – James Malony

For exceptional efforts for Quarter of April through June 2019, Jim has stepped up as our lead supporting NAVFAC. He has been excellent in communicating/avoiding any troubles on-site since the moment he took over as lead of the program. Jim is a strong advocate and truly cares about the team over there. He is consistently updating on the status of our employees and always has their best interests as well as those of the company in mind. We look forward to exceeding expectations for the Navy and couldn’t do this without Jim’s leadership.   His exceptional performance during this period is a credit to Knight Federal Solutions and the NavyTech Support Team.

The Employee of the Quarter will receive:

  • A gift card for $50
  • A framed certificate recognizing their accomplishments
  • A Knight Federal imprinted leather notebook

Nominate an Employee

Complete the EOQ Nomination Form and submit it to the program manager Murray Hess.  Anyone may nominate an employee. Nomination forms may be submitted at any time.

Nominations are due by the tenth day of the month preceding the award month (i.e., February, May, August, and November) or the next working day if the tenth falls on a weekend or System Offices holiday.

The Process

The EOQ Committee will meet on a quarterly basis throughout the year. The committee will assure that the nominee meets all of the basic requirements. The committee will consider the following contributing qualities when making the award selection:

  • Longevity and performance
  • Contributions to the Knight Federal community
  • Contributions to his or her office
  • Contributions to the outside community
  • Awards or recognition received

Previous EOQ winners 

2018

October – December – Dave Drake
July – September – Al Williams, Jr.
April – June – Glenn James – J7
January – March – Louis E. Williams

2019

January – March – Carrie Powers

Employee of the Year Winner

Toby Washington (2018)

Contact Us

407-243-6008

info@knightfederal.com

Address

Knight Federal Solutions, Inc.
11486 Corporate Boulevard, Suite 151
Orlando FL  32817

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