The finalists for this year’s Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards were announced in September and WashingtonExec is bringing you its annual series with the nominees.
The winners will be unveiled on November 7th at The Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce (FCCC), the Professional Services Council (PSC) and Washington Technology magazine. With over 900 business and public sector leaders attending the event, our series will keep you up-to-date about all the finalists for this year–who they are, what they do, and why they are worthy of winning.
Today’s interview is with Dennis Kelly, president and CEO of A-T Solutions. Kelly is nominated for “Executive of the Year” in the $75 – $300 million category.
WashingtonExec: What would you say was a turning point or inflection point in your career?
Dennis Kelly: A turning point in my career was probably when the company I was with in New England got acquired by Anteon Corporation in June 1999. It was around the same time that I got my MBA, so I’m not sure which was more important, but they both had a major impact on my career.
“Good leaders are those who take care of their people. Without our people we don’t have a company, so taking care of them should be a number one focus.”
WashingtonExec: What book did you read this summer?
Dennis Kelly: Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box by The Arbinger Institute
“Work hard no matter what you are asked to do. Additional responsibilities and rewards come to those who do the seemingly mundane things with excellence.”
WashingtonExec: What makes a good leader? How would you describe your leadership style?
Dennis Kelly: Good leaders are those who take care of their people. Without our people we don’t have a company, so taking care of them should be a number one focus. I also think being a good listener is extremely important; good leaders should not only talk to their customers and employees, but know how to listen to them and take action on issues.
WashingtonExec: What three pieces of advice would you give your kids?
Dennis Kelly:
- Work hard no matter what you are asked to do. Additional responsibilities and rewards come to those who do the seemingly mundane things with excellence.
- Integrity is everything. Never compromise your integrity.
- Always treat others as you would expect to be treated.
WashingtonExec: As a leader in the community, how have you approached the government shutdown? What did you learn from the last government shutdown?
Dennis Kelly: Certainly the first thing on my mind is taking care of our employees. We were most concerned with their welfare. They were the most impacted by the shutdown, where our furloughed employees had to take leave.
If there was one thing we learned, it was how strong we are as a team – we knew we were strong, but this really was a test of exactly how strong we are.
“The biggest, most important job our government does is protecting its citizens, and it will continue to make commitments in the areas of security and counterterrorism, which align with our core mission and focus.”
WashingtonExec: What is your 2014 market outlook for the federal contracting community? Where are you seeing areas for growth?
Dennis Kelly: 2014 will be another tough year because of budget issues and delays; however, we are pursuing significant opportunities and forecast growth in 2014.
The biggest, most important job our government does is protecting its citizens, and it will continue to make commitments in the areas of security and counterterrorism, which align with our core mission and focus.
WashingtonExec: How does your company identify and then cultivate high-potential employees to become leaders in your organization?
Dennis Kelly: We identify high-potential employees through our performance evaluation and assessment process. We cultivate their potential by having current leaders mentor them, teaching and guiding them. We also invest in training — for example, program management training. We make investments in other areas of professional development, such as tuition assistance, to make sure all of our employees reach their full potential.
WashingtonExec: How does your organization engage effectively with all levels of employees, on and off site?
Dennis Kelly: We have quarterly town hall meetings with all of our employees to help keep them up to date on company performance, changes in marketplace, and other news. Another key way we communicate at all levels is with our award-winning quarterly news magazine, The A-T Connection. It’s mailed to all of our employees’ homes and to our entire deployed workforce. Although it has some company news and information, it focuses on our people, because they are really the foundation of our business. Our employees look forward to reading it every quarter because the human interest stories make it quite engaging.
WashingtonExec: What trends are you seeing that are important to your customers?
Dennis Kelly: Our customers continue to be faced with tremendous challenges, in delivering on the objectives of their critical missions and doing so while faced with incredible fiscal challenges.
I think the trend toward lowest price, technically acceptable is something our customers are having to balance, along with fiscal controls and being as efficient as possible, while seeking out innovation.
WashingtonExec: What is your company’s biggest accomplishment in the last 12-18 months?
Dennis Kelly: We just received a major new contract in the special operations community – It was awarded by the U.S. Army Asymmetric Warfare Group to provide essential service support to both the AWG and the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command to enhance soldier survivability, increase combat effectiveness of the force, and enable the defeat of current and emerging threats.
We are expanding our capabilities and enhancing our customer footprint, and will be announcing an acquisition very soon.
WashingtonExec: How is your company involved in the community? (Corporate citizenship).
Dennis Kelly: We believe in giving back to those who we serve and those that serve us. We support the USO, the EOD Warrior Foundation, Law Enforcement United, and the CIA Officers Memorial Foundation in various ways throughout the year.
