TheAdvantageProSphere

Volume I Issue 9Fall edItIon 2018

This Issue:CEOReflections

Corporate Corner

FamilyPicnic

HRPulse

CommunityCommuniqué

BenefitConcert

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roSphere is headquartered in Virginia but has a key presence in Texas. The company’s Human Resources and Accounting Departments are in Round Rock, Texas, plus a vital customer – the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Financial Services Center – is located in Austin.Human Resources (HR) and Accounting, often referred to as the backbone of ProSphere, are responsible for staffing, professional development, compensation, wellness, labor relations, and more. There are approximately 12 corporate employees working in the Round Rock office who run these core functions for more than 450 employees spread across 24 states.How did these two critical functional areas end up in Texas? This arrangement can be traced back to ProSphere’s former mentor company, which is regionally structured the same way. Thanks to a mentor-protégé arrangement, ProSphere was supported by some of its mentor company’s infrastructure and staff, both in Alexandria, Va. and Round Rock. When ProSphere branched off from its mentor, Alexandria was officially designated its headquarters but chose to keep back office operations in Texas.“It was important to have a continued presence in Round Rock,” said Eric Hughes Vice President of Operations. “We are able to retain some dedicated Texas-based employees and it allows for efficient continuity of operations with our VA FSC customer.”

4th Annual Family Picnic Pg 5The

AdvantageProSphere

Round Rock, Texas office personnel from left to right – Payroll Mgr. Tammy Simmons, VP James Rodriguez^, HR Admin. Anisha Mehra, Accounting Mgr. Norma Jasso, HR Generalist Kristy Taylor, HR Director Carola Ammer, Staff Accountant Derek Lavernia, Technical Recruiter Stacey Walton, Staff Accountant Michael Ritchie, Communications Director Stephanie Chase*, Solution Architect Stephen Engle^, Executive Assistant to the CEO Estella Laguna*, Staff Accountant Isiah Green, Controller Mark Walker, and Assistant Accounting Mgr. Stephanie McCulley. (^Former employee, *headquarters personnel,)

The corporate importance of Texas

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Round Rock, Texas office

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Maturity and growth in any context usually brings added benefits such as organizational improvements and better defined key performance indicators (KPIs). As ProSphere continues to grow, the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) – the CEO, President, and Chief Strategy Officer – have an obligation to make smart strategic choices that nurture healthy organizational development. This year the ELT has been keenly focused on three key initiatives: codifying Corporate Values, assessing the company’s Growth Engine, and advancing Corporate Maturity.

Corporate Values drive the behaviors and establish the culture that we embrace as a company. They are the operating philosophies or principles that guide an organization’s internal conduct as well as its relationships with its customers, partners, and shareholders. Going forward, these values will determine who gets hired, promoted, and rewarded.

Our recent growth spurt to approximately 500 employees, with nationwide presence, has required us to more clearly communicate existing values to match expanding organizational needs. By this I mean, we are growing and delegating more authority and responsibility. We are at a size in which it becomes important to describe those behaviors that we expect from everyone. Our Corporate Values are expressed through our ProSphere Value Statement, which summarizes seven Core Values. Our Value Statement reads:

Our seven Core Values are:

We are in the process of rolling out our Corporate Values, which will be delivered through multiple media, to include an upcoming series of videos, social media, Chatter Groups, etc. We will reinforce our Corporate Values repeatedly through new employee orientations, management meetings, employee award presentations, and other company gatherings; so in this way we continually instill them in our day-to-day work activities. All employees will live the values and reinforce the culture we will continue building here at ProSphere.Growth Engine

As I have stated on numerous occasions, we assess growth on two parallel fronts, dollars – quantified by an increase in revenue, people and projects; and by the maturity of company processes – measured by organizational effectiveness. We’ve accomplished many of our objectives this year: we won all our re-competes and diversified into other federal markets, namely Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Defense, and Defense Health Agency. We have realized a 26% growth in revenue from 2017-2018. In addition, we have been awarded three Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts; NIH’s CIO-SP3, GSA’s Alliant 2 Small Business, and Army’s RS3 that will all help drive business development activities for 2019. Corporate Maturity

As ProSphere continues to mature, clearly defined processes, policies and internal controls to guide staff and managers become even more critical to ensure quality and standardization. Likewise, continuous process improvement becomes a necessity to keep pace with activities such as, recruitment, human resources, payroll and finance, business growth, and service delivery operations. Ready access to timely and accurate data is equally as important. Intelligible information must be made available through management dashboards and automated workflows. The ability to manage a geographically dispersed workforce requires enterprise IT systems and resources, including communications and collaboration tools that are best of breed. The outstanding processes we have in place today reside in our Quality Management Systems driven by Capability Maturity Model Integration and ISO qualifications. Stay tuned for future announcements regarding any changes and/or enhancements to our enterprise processes.

Please know that I am continually striving to make the company better in all areas, with the goal of making ProSphere a Best Place to Work. This newsletter covers stories that demonstrate our commitment to both attract and retain employees and their families, such as the family picnic and our Veteran outreach programs that we have been recognized for. I hope you continue to be a part of and experience our evolution as a growing and maturing ProSphere. Like the seasons upon us, we will continue to change and look forward to a bright tomorrow.

Sincerely,

1. Employee Centric2. Customer Focused3. Integrity

4. Leadership 5. Creativity

6. Diversity and Inclusion7. Community

“We place a high value on taking care of our employees and customers - and serving our community. We believe in the power to influence through leadership, diversity, accountability, integrity, and creativity.”

Rodger Blevins, CEO

CEO ReflectionsCorporate Values

Texas Continued from cover page

The Round Rock office is located approximately 30 miles from Veterans Affairs Financial Services Center (VA FSC) in Austin. Veterans Affairs’ FSC exists to provide critical business services required for the delivery of health and benefits to Veterans.ProSphere’s relationship with VA FSC dates back to 2012 when the company bid and won the Department of Labor’s three-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) administrative-based VA FSC contract vehicle. It employed 43 people who supported various task orders that included eTravel, Secretarial, Waco Payments, and Help Desk services. In 2015, ProSphere was awarded a GSA IT 70 Schedule contract providing FSC Information Technology Support Services (ITSS). In 2016, FSC ITSS was re-competed on VA’s Transformation Twenty-One Total

Technology (T4) contract vehicle, which ProSphere bid and won again. Financial Services Center ITSS is a three-year contract, staffed with 80 employees in which ProSphere delivers high-quality IT Infrastructure and Software Engineering Electronic Commerce/Electronic Data Interchange services. This year, ProSphere was also awarded an FSC Data Analytics Support Services five-year subcontract through Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc.“We cherish our relationship with VA FSC,” said Rodger Blevins, CEO. “Not only from a business strategy perspective, but as a Veteran-owned company we are dedicated to the critical services FSC delivers to our Nation’s heroes and their families. So, maintaining an office in Round Rock is a no-brainer.”Beyond the office presence in Texas, ProSphere has recently launched an external advertising campaign at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The campaign features five ads presented on LCDs throughout the terminal that run on a loop. One of the ads feature our slogan The Power to Influence, two ads feature our capabilities Cyber Security and Health IT, one ad states Build a Career, and one ad is targeted to Veteran hiring.“We chose to advertise in Austin because it targets our VA FSC customer, whose facility employs approximately 1800 people,” said Stephanie Chase, Corporate Communications Director. “The ads also expose ProSphere to the general public in a tangible way, reflecting our commitment for continual growth through delivering superior IT and professional services to our customers.” Business experts say that being accessible to customers is critical. ProSphere’s office in Texas allows such accessibility for VA FSC. This effective strategy has also carried over into other contracts, such as VA Enterprise Service Desk Managed Services, where ProSphere has opened offices in Barbourville, Ky. and Bossier City, La.

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ProSphere advertisement in Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Texas Capitol Building, Austin

CorporateThe

Corner

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Recent contract winsKevin D. Rice, President, announced that ProSphere has been awarded six task orders and two Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts this quarter. They are the following:1. Veterans Affairs (VA) Messaging and Authentication Engineering Admin Support2. VA Security Engineering IT & PM Support

3. VA Maintenance, Operations and Enhancement Support for VA Real Property Systems: Capital Asset Management System (CAMS), Capital Asset Inventory System (CAI), and Construction Capital Integrated Database (CCIDB)4. VA Financial Service Center Data Analytics Support Services - Subcontract5. VA Open Source Coordination Services6. VA Web Applications Support7. Security and Exchange Commission One OIT [IDIQ] - Subcontract8. U.S. Army Responsive Strategic Sourcing for Services (RS3) [IDIQ]

Veteran support recognizedProSphere’s commitment to Veterans through hiring, support, and outreach is recognized again this year. Specifically, the company has received the 2019 V3 Triumph Award for most transformative Veteran hiring process (previously received 2018 Influencer Award), and is a Top 10 Military Friendly® Employer – ranked #4 for 2019 (previously ranked #7).

The Virginia Values Veterans (V3) is a program of the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Its mission is to help employers understand, design, and implement nationally-recognized best practices in recruiting, hiring, and training military Veteran employees.“Virginia is home to one of the largest Veteran populations

and has more Veterans per capita in our labor force than any other state in America,” said Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. “Our focus on creating economic opportunities for Veterans and their families reflects our commitment to keeping Virginia the most Veteran-friendly state in America.”

Military Friendly® is a ranking designation derived from the founders of VIQTORY and G.I. Jobs magazine – organizations dedicated to helping transitioning military back to civilian life. According to their website, Military Friendly® is the standard that measures an organization’s commitment, effort, and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefits for the military community. Companies’ data is evaluated in six military-friendly practices to determine Military Friendly® designations, and award determinations are sourced from public data, surveyed proprietary

information, and Veteran surveys. ProSphere scored in the Exceeds Standards range of all six evaluated categories.“We are honored to be recognized by V3 and Military Friendly® for a second consecutive year,” said Rodger Blevins, CEO. “Programs such as these are giving companies an opportunity to commit and participate fully

in paving the way for our Nation’s heroes.”

Left to right - CEO Rodger Blevins, Corporate Fellow Heather Rourke, Dir. of Small Business Carleen Jarrett, Dir. of Workforce Management Mike Quinn (former employee), and Dir. of Communications Stephanie Chase hold the V3 Triumph Award received at the 2018 Virginia Workforce Conference, Richmond, Va. Sept. 25.

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ProSphere employees and their family members enjoyed a festive-filled fourth annual family picnic at Fairfax Hunt Club, Reston, Va. September 22. New this year was a dunk tank for charity that made a big splash with all in attendance. The cost was $5 for three throws and all proceeds went to one of ProSphere’s favorite charities – The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health. Those dunked were CEO Rodger Blevins, President Kevin

D. Rice, VP of Enterprise Services Sean Lenehan, and Dir. of Workforce Mgmt. Mike Quinn.“Between the dunk tank and some of the fun gear placed around the facility, we didn’t have time to get to all the planned activities,” said Kate Walker, Office Manager. “A potato sack race and three-legged race were planned but never achieved, which is a good thing. It means there was just too much fun to go around.”Self-occupying activities included corn hole, horse

shoes, and a bounce-house, and organized activities included hula hoop and balloon toss. Periodically, the DJ interrupted the fun to raffle off a few prizes that included gift certificates and electronics.

HRWe have reached another milestone in our quest to create an easier benefits management experience for employees. For 2019 Open Enrollment, beginning this fall, we will be using PlanSource – a cloud-based solution with an easy-to-use educational platform for benefits shopping, enrollment, and tools that will help you make informed decisions. You will be notified via email once next year’s Open Enrollment dates are finalized. Remember to check your ProSphere email frequently for all the latest happenings within the company.

The progressing school year is a good reminder that it is important to continue learning. Take advantage of your LinkedIn Learning access! LinkedIn Learning is a versatile web-based on-demand learning platform, designed to help you develop new skills or enhance current capabilities that can aid in career advancement. Users have unlimited access, personalized recommendations, multiple device usability, helpful resources, and access to expert instructors.

Sign on today and learn something new or brush up on your current skills. All ProSphere employees have access to LinkedIn Learning, so let’s all learn and grow together!

VA ESD project making strides (Barbourville, KY - Bossier City, LA) The Enterprise Service Desk (ESD) project is staffed with approximately 200 employees. One

of the main objectives of this program is to improve the quality of IT services to U.S. Veterans Affairs’ end users through a managed help desk customer service model.

At only seven months, the developing program comes with its own set of unique challenges. One such challenge is the limited availability of Knowledge Articles, a key employee resource for troubleshooting customer inquiries.

“Even with the lack of certain resources, our team is doing an excellent job in troubleshooting issues while being held to strict customer resolution time standards,” said Tammy Gracia ESD HR Manager. “Beyond adhering to high-quality performance standards, employees are using the resulting solutions to build new Knowledge Articles.”

To acknowledge and encourage the project employees’ achievements, Tammy and ESD leaders have created an incentive program to reward contract staff for meeting and exceeding various goals. Accomplishments such as perfect attendance, receiving positive customer feedback, and attaining 100% on a Managed Service Provider evaluations, are rewarded with a variety of gift options that include drawings for trendy electronics, movie packages, and various ProSphere collectibles.

“The gift program is just a small way to say thank you to the dedication demonstrated by our ESD staff,” said Tammy. “Their effort for providing quality customer service is in line with ProSphere’s mission to meet or exceed

our customers’ expectations.

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New Benefits Portal – Coming Soon!

Tips to keeping your back, neck healthyAs employees working in the IT industry, we tend to sit for extended periods of time, which can take a toll on our back and neck. Here are a few tips to a happier back and neck at the office:1. When sitting or standing, maintain a good, straight posture.

2. Make your work station as ergonomic as possible (i.e., keep your computer screen at arm’s length, do not sit too far from your keyboard, adjust your chair to the appropriate height). Ensure your feet are touching the floor or are supported with your thighs parallel to the floor.

3. Set a reminder to get up to stretch or take a short walk once an hour. This will also help increase your energy! 4. When browsing on your phone, try to keep your device at either chest or eye level. Doing so creates a naturally

supportive posture. 5. If on the phone frequently, use a headset when appropriate. 6. Stay hydrated! Not only can this help prevent stiff muscles, but also allows the body to replenish the much needed fluids

in the discs of your spine.

HR Director: Carola.Ammer@prosphere.com, 703.810.3007.

HRPulse

VET cohort participant achieves Salesforce successIn December of 2017, Air Force Veteran Nick Charles participated in ProSphere’s

Veteran Education Training (VET) Program centered on Salesforce. In less than a year, Nick transitioned from being a high school football coach to a Salesforce Product Owner at Frost Bank, a Texas-based financial institution serving customers since 1868.

The journey from teacher to Salesforce expert was not planned. Nick graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) and served six years in the Air Force as a Software Test Manager for missile warning systems. After his honorable discharge, Nick went back to USAFA as an instructor. His experience educating and mentoring future Airmen inspired him to teach and coach high school students.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to guide and support our Nation’s youth,” said Nick. But I was searching for a career path in which I could apply my military technological

management skills.”Through his exploration, Nick came across a LinkedIn post from Mike Quinn (former employee) regarding the

company’s VET Program. Nick applied, was accepted, and jumped at the chance to learn something new.“The first month was really tough because I came into this program cold,” said Nick. “I didn’t know what an

app was, much less how to create one. And in the cloud? What is that?” he thought.With some reassurance that he had no obligation or penalty for failing the course, Nick dug in his heels,

finished the training, and triumphed – becoming a certified Salesforce Administrator. “Nick’s achievement is exactly the result we desire of all VET cohorts,” said Stephanie Chase, Director of

Corporate Communications. “Ideally, we would like to bring them on permanently with ProSphere of course. But if there are no available openings, hopefully the training will provide the tools needed to land their ideal position anywhere in the field.”

The VET program laid the foundation, but Nick’s perseverance was the key to his success. After his initial certification, Nick pursued advanced training opportunities through other Veteran resources and regularly attended Salesforce networking events; eventually landing him the desired position at Frost Bank.

“I’ve found my niche,” said Nick. “It’s due, in great part, to ProSphere’s Vet-friendly training program.”

Proposal Coordinator Lisa Mattison hosted a dog rescue event at

Alexandria, Va. headquarters office July 12 that included a visit from two special doggies.

“I was inspired by ProSphere’s annual bring kids to work day,” said Lisa. “I own two German Shepherds and three cats, so I inquired about having a bring pets to work day. Due to certain workplace logistical concerns, I opted for hosting a dog rescue seminar instead.”

Lisa is a member of Virginia German Shepherd Rescue (VGSR), Inc. and arranged to have fellow member, Debbie Marson, bring a foster puppy named Smokey and speak about the significance of animal rescue and pet adoption. Debbie and Lisa covered various topics such as, adopting from shelters versus shopping at pet stores, the risks of puppy mills and backyard breeders, and the importance of spaying/neutering pets.

To close out the event, Lisa brought in a Certified

Therapy German Shepherd named Bella and her owner, U.S. Army Veteran Charles Vile. Bella is a VGSR alum who makes the rounds at Veterans Affairs and military hospitals, providing comfort to wounded, ill, and recovering troops. She demonstrated her obedience and usefulness by performing a few tricks that included fetching newspapers and her ability to refrain from eating potentially unsafe treats.

“I admire Lisa’s passion for animal rescue, which became clear during the presentation” said Mary Lynne Brown, Proposal Manager. “This event was very informative and inspiring. Smokey was such a delight, very cute and well behaved.”

To learn about ways to support rescuing or fostering German Shepherds in Virginia visit: www.vsgr.org. Or Google ‘Dog Rescue’ to find an organization near you.

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Community Communiqué

ProSphere held a special Partnership Appreciation Benefit Concert at The Lyceum Museum, Old Town Alexandria Oct. 1, in which all ticket proceeds

went to The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health. The Lyceum is a historic site that offers museum exhibition and public and private programs such as lectures and intimate concerts. The event was headlined by a piano performance by seasoned pianist Travis Stright, who uses his talent to incite compassion. His concerts have raised thousands for various charities. “This was an opportunity to provide something unique and memorable to our valued corporate partners for a great cause,” said Rodger Blevins, CEO. “I had the privilege of seeing Travis play in the recent past. His performance was so moving, I was compelled to share his talent with ProSphere’s partners and friends.”

Night of music, partnership, compassion

Submit your newsletter questions, comments and content ideas to: enewsletter@prosphere.com

Point of Contacts for ProSphere EmployeesHuman Resources:hr@prosphere.com, 703.810.3017Payroll:payroll@prosphere.com, 703.810.3403SharePoint Support:sharepointhelpdesk@prosphere.comIT Support:helpdesk@prosphere.comCommunications:communications@prosphere.com

Product of CommunicationsContributors:

Carola Ammer (HR Pulse)Michael Knight (Writer/Co-Editor, Photography, Design/Layout)

Stephanie Chase (Writer/Co-Editor, Photography)

Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberg