The Official Newsletter of Knight Federal
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Hello
Team Knight Federal!
I hope everyone's New Year is off to a great start. It was great to see most of you during our holiday parties in December.
We have made an impact with some notable accomplishments that came in toward the end of last year, which we are celebrating this quarter.
In November, we were very honored to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor with the
HIRE Vets Medallion Award
for our commitment to hiring U.S. Military Veterans. In December, we were selected by the University of Florida to receive the 2020
Gator100
award, which recognizes the world's fastest growing gator led businesses. Our Vice President of Business Development, Matt Herring (UF Alumni) received the award.
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Knight Federal Exhibits at I/ITSEC 2019
World's Largest MS&T Conference Held in Orlando
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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.
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.
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Knight Federal Selected for Gator100
Award Recognizes the 100 Fastest Growing, Gator-Owned or
Gator-Led Businesses in the World
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Alumni from the
University of Florida
have created and guided some of the most innovative and profitable businesses in the nation and the world.
The UF Alumni Association, in partnership with the UF Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center, is privileged to recognize these amazing entrepreneurs with the
Gator100.
The Gator100 honors the 100 fastest-growing Gator-Owned or Gator-Led businesses in the world. The Gator100 serves not only as a setting where UF's elite entrepreneurs can gather and share their talents and wisdom, but as an inspiration to fellow Gators to be part of this exclusive group.
Knight Federal was proud to be selected for this prestigious award as Matt Herring, our Vice President of Business Development is a UF Alumni.
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Knight Federal Receives HIRE Vets Award
Medallion Award Recognizes Veteran-Friendly Workplace
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Knight Federal has received the
HIRE Vets Platinum Medallion Award
from the United States Department of Labor for its commitment to hiring U.S. military veterans. Knight Federal is one of only six 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."
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KFS CEO Earns Spot in OBJ's 40 Under 40
Chris Baeten Recognized for His Role in Shaping the Communiy
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Chris Baeten
has joined the ranks of the
Orlando Business Journal's
40 Under 40
, an award that recognizes young leaders in the Central Florida region who play a key role in shaping the community.
According to the
Orlando Business Journal (OBJ)
, Orlando is a fast-growing city and that means there are plenty of leaders who not only helped put in that spot, but who are also helping to move the City Beautiful forward.
The
OBJ
received hundreds of nominations and a special judging committee - which included some former honorees - narrowed that down to the class of 2019. The winners were chosen based on going above and beyond to achieve impressive business accolades, despite their youth, while also making a difference through their community involvement.
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Knight Federal Employees Celebrate 5 Years
Team Members Across the Company Celebrate 5 Year Anniversaries
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Knight Federal is proud to celebrate the five-year anniversaries of its team members throughout the company. We recognize your loyalty, excellence and superior performance that help to continue to advance the company. Our success is your success and we appreciate all you do each and every day you come to work! THANK YOU FOR 5 YEARS!
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Joint Staff Employees
(L to R) - Chris Baeten, Ralph Everette, Claude West, Toby Washington, Marty Soder, Jerry Henderson, Calvin Mitchell, Murray Hess and Al Williams.
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Employee of the Year
Chad Barnes
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Chad Barnes
has been named the Knight Federal Solutions Employee of the Year. for the JS J7 Technical Team.
Chad was selected for this award based on his exceptional efforts over the past year. As a member of the Joint Training Synthetic Environment Infrastructure team, Chad has been an integral part of the Environment Architecture Division. His work in completing the upgrade of Test Bay 7 was noted by the government, recognizing the quality of his work and the complexity of the project.
One of the unsung heroes according to his team lead, Chad is a consistent professional. He has received numerous kudos from the government and his performance is keeping with the highest standards. He is an asset to the KFS Team!
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Employee of the Quarter
Kenneth Rodgers
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Kenneth Rodgers
has been named the Knight Federal Solutions Navy Technical Support Team's Employee of the Quarter for October - December 2019. Ever since he started work at Knight Federal he has been fighting adversity. In his first two months, he and his family suffered the loss of two family members. Through it all he continues to work and has only missed a minimal amount of work.
Over the past year, Kenneth was a keynote speaker for a college, received his doctorate in mechanical engineering and promotes a national education program called STEM for inner city youth in Norfolk.
Kenneth is dedicated to his work and believes in doing a good job no matter what the world puts in front of you.
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Employee of the Quarter
Shameca Williams
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Shameca Williams
has been named the Knight Federal Solutions JS J7 EOQ.
Shameca worked computer and printer setup for three major events, ensuring the floor plans were accurate and equipment was ready. Simulatenously, she was working daily trouble calls for the JTEN-S and JTEN-U networks, and working to provide remediation for the workstations on both networks identified as IA's ACAS as having outdated software, vulnerabilities and older OS versions! She also assisted with the move of the TB 22 and 24 occupants to their new space.
She worked through it all with a smile on her face and a positive attitude. She values her work and displays exceptional performance while maintaining the highest standards. She is a valued team member!
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Employee of the Quarter
Kahlil Claude
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Kahlil Claude
has been named the Knight Federal Solutions Joint Staff J7 Technical Support Team's Employee of the Quarter for July - September 2019.
From day one - Kahlil has always come in excited and ready to work despite never knowing what kinds of tickets and situations he would encounter throughout the day. Khalil meets every challenge with a smile and true determination. Often times, he completes 75 to 100 tickets per day! He is a team player thathandles help desk tickets with ease and pure professionalism. His exceptional performance during this period is in keeping with the highest standards of the Joint Staff as a whole and is an asset to the KFS Team.
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Employee of the Quarter
Shripal Fernando
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Shripal Fernando
has been named the Knight Federal Solutions Navy Technical Support Team's Employee of the Quarter for July - September 2019.
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hripal has been a consistent advocate for Knight Federal Solutions at the CI43 Mechanical Branch. His leadership, professionalism and expertise was recognized when he was asked to attend several kick-off meetings at another location. Shripal is known for always making himself available to help others while still completing his tasks. We appreciate Shripal's professional and dedication to the Knight Federal Solutions Team!
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Purple Knight Initiative Intern Spotlight
Dave Williams
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Congratulations to Dave Williams graduating from the Purple Knight Initiative. During his time as an intern
at the Joint Knowledge Online (JKO) as well as the J7 Instructor Controllers, Dave has ensured to make good use of his time and learn as much as possible from the team. Dave has distinguished himself as an Instructor Controller supporting several exercises and gaining the respect of the J7 Ops team. He has proven to be an avid learner and is easily trainable. It is for this reason that Dave has been offered and accepted a new role in the program. Dave has set the standard for those going forward. Fair Winds and Following Seas.
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Knight Federal is Saving Lives
Team Members Participate in Blood Drive
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“Knight Federal team members were glad to participate by donating blood at the blood drive in order to save lives. Giving back to our community is part of our corporate philosophy and we all take it to heart,” says Chris Baeten, Knight Federal’s CEO.
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Heart Walk Heroes- Team Knight Federal Supports Annual 2019 Greater Orlando Heart Walk at UCF
Life is Why We Walk - Healthy for Good
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On
Saturday, November 9 at 8:30am
, Knight Federal participated once again as a team in the annual
American Heart Association's 2019 Greater Orlando Heart Walk.
Team Knight Federal joined a million Heart Walk Heroes from across the nation, raising funds for lifesaving science and the goal to raise awareness on how to live longer and Healthy for Good.
The walk took place on a glorious sunny day at the University of Central Florida campus, with family and friends. Knight Federal's team was proud to raise more than $1K in funds!
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Fairways for Warriors Hosts 9th Annual Veterans Day Golf Tournament Raising More Than $70K
Knight Federal Serves as Title Sponsor and Event Chair Chris Baeten Ensure the Event Raises Needed Funds to Help Support Its Mission
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The
9th Annual Veterans Day Golf Tournament
to benefit Fairways for Warriors took place on Friday, November 8 at 8:30am at the Eagle Creek Golf Club in Orlando. The sold out event generated more than $72K in funds to support the nonprofit organization's mission.
Fairways for Warriors
is dedicated to providing a better quality of life for America's wounded veterans by using golf and golf instruction to help heal wounded service personnel and their family members. Golf has proven to be an excellent tool for mental and physical rehabilitation.
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(L to R) -
Scott Wertsching, Gabe McMillen, Chris Baeten, Garrett Heinlen and Shawn Lopez
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(L to R) - Knight Federal team members
Katherine Valladares, Chris Baeten, Samantha Mooney-Outlaw and Rebecca Cruz
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Knight Federal Completes SBDC's Advisory Board Council Program Advancing to the Next Level
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Knight Federal held its last
Advisory Board Council
meeting with the Florida
Small Business Development Center's (SBDC's)
team of advisors in early February.
Funded by Orange County Government and supported by the generosity of the SBDC's sponsors, the no-cost advisory service serves as a matchmaker between business and volunteer advisors, all of whom are professionals in the community. Every participant on the Advisory Board Council is interested in building relationships and improving the economic community in Central Florida.
The program's purpose is to postively impact Central Florida businesses through revenue and job creation. Businesses also benefit by streamlined operations, marketing, financial management, reduced costs, leadership development and succession planning. Through the SBDC's Advisory Board Council, clients gain the knowledge required to drive their businesses further.
The board works together for 18 months and board meetings are held quarterly for approximately 3 hours each. Meetings focus on strategy and planning with clients assigned take away "action items" to work on and report back on at the next meeting. The program was so successful for Knight Federal's CEO Chris Baeten, that he decided to become an advisor himself - hoping to give back the value and insight he gained as a recipient of the program! For more information on the program visit the
SBDC's website
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(From L to R) - Florida SBDC at UCF Advisory Board Council Manager Jill Kaufman, US Air Force Colonel (RET) Bob Munn, UCF HR Professor Gordon Henry, KFS CEO Chris Baeten and SBDC Coordinator Jessica Ali. Not pictured: Sean McLaughlin of Timbers Resorts, Stefan Rubin with Shutts and Bowen LLP and Christa Santos of CKS Marketing Communications.
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Steven South of Florida PTAC at UCF
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Wayne Leland of NPerspective LLC
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Knight Federal Solutions | 407-243-6008
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With a decade of experience providing support services to the Department of Defense and the Intelligence community, we understand what is needed to succeed. We are a mission driven, cost-effective solutions provider dedicated to helping our partners and customers achieve their desired results. We're agile, proactive and fiscally responsible, while maintaining integrity.
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