November 2024 | Issue #34
I am thrilled to announce that CONSTANT has opened a new office in Alexandria, Virginia! This location will serve as our official headquarters, marking an exciting step in our growth. A heartfelt thank you to Brea, Ali, and Jayson for their effort in supporting the selection of this fantastic space and for their shared vision of our future expansion.
Our new East Coast office, though small, is poised for significant growth and will complement our California location, enhancing our support for both state and local governments as well as federal clients.
In line with our forward-looking approach, our Executive Leadership Team is currently updating our three-year strategic plan, business development strategy, and financial forecast for 2025. With recent wins under our belt, we are set to start 2025 from a position of strength and a focus on growth.
As we approach Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to each of you. Your ability to adapt, overcome challenges, and celebrate one another truly sets our team apart. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to our mission of making the world a safer place.
Amanda Phan - FEMA FQS PM
Amanda Phan joined our FEMA FQS Project Team on October 16th and brings over 15 years of experience in emergency management from all government and private sector levels. Her passion is relationship building, strategic planning, and program evaluation and improvement.
Amanda has a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Colorado, served 7 years in the Air Force Reserve, and is a Certified Emergency Manager.
Amanda lives in Colorado Springs, CO, with her two teenage children. She enjoys traveling, mountain biking, hiking, and cooking.
Elizabeth (Ellie) Jackson - Training & Development Consultant (CBP)
Ellie Jackson, a recent graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Smart and Sustainable Cities, is eager to embark on her professional journey. She is enthusiastic about expanding her knowledge and gaining new experiences in her field.
In her free time, Ellie enjoys reading and honing her baking skills. She loves spending quality time with her two dogs, Siggy and Indy. Passionate and driven, Ellie looks forward to growing both personally and professionally.
CONSTANT's November Birthdays
Happy Birthday to our November crew!
- Nora Caplan – November 19
- Dan Smith – November 22
Let’s stuff ourselves with gratitude for our amazing team members!
CONSTANT's Work Anniversaries
We are celebrating all of these souls and the magic they bring to CONSTANT. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication to our mission.
- Sarah Novak, 2 years, November 16
- James Meeks, 2 years, November 28
A Moment of Thanksgiving and Gratitude from BD
Business Development by Jeff Philippart, Business Development Director
Gratitude is a core value at CONSTANT, and November reminds us to take time for Thanksgiving. In that spirit, I would like to highlight some things that I am most thankful for in my first year as the Business Development Director.
First, I must give thanks to the entire BD team for their hard work behind the scenes to help grow the company. Their dedication and work ethic are amazing as they tackle a variety of tasks from proposals to marketing and contract support, in-depth research, and more daily. I must recognize Christy for her ability to juggle multiple ongoing state, local, and federal proposals. Her ability to write winning proposals is evident in our above-average win rate and success in winning several proposals in the past month. Proposal writing is difficult, and Christy makes it look easy. I also must express my appreciation for Nicole since she wears many hats and pivots from one challenge to the next with a smile. Nicole’s efficiency allows her to support the company across multiple lines of business, from finance to proposals and marketing. Nicole single-handedly organizes our conference attendance to include registration, preparation, and more. Constant has an impressive BD team, and I am thankful for all their support.
Next, I want to express my gratitude to the entire operations team for adopting a growth mindset over the course of this year. At the Winter Summit, we discussed each person’s important role in helping the company grow. Since January, the Portfolio Managers have taken a larger role in the development of our growth pipeline, and they have played a key role in client engagement and crafting solutions for winning bids. I appreciate their willingness to learn and push for more opportunities as we plan for 2025. I am excited to see the next steps in the evolution of operations and business development working together to achieve our goals.
Finally, I need to thank the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) for their support and guidance over this past year. The ELT is a valuable source of inspiration and insight for the entire company. In summary, we have many reasons to be thankful this month, and I am grateful for your support as we continue our growth journey in 2025.
Growth Through Gratitude: How Giving Thanks For Good Performance Can Help the Team Grow
Operations by Jayson Kratoville
Last month’s CONSTANT Connections focused on performance reviews. In this month of giving thanks, it’s an apt time to talk more about providing good positive feedback. We are an improvement-focused team, but it’s just as important to highlight the things we are doing well and should duplicate. This also aligns with the culture of gratitude that is a pillar of our core values.
Here are some tips for providing good positive feedback:
- Build a strong relationship as a foundation. Positive feedback means more when it is genuine, which comes from strong, routine feedback and growth discussions.
- Make it measurable and specific. As mentioned last month, “good job” doesn’t help someone know what they did well. Give them something to grab onto.
- Praise more than you criticize. Most of the time, team members will be great at more things than they need to improve on. Highlight these—aim for a 5:1 ratio.
- Don’t sandwich feedback. Avoid pairing good feedback with areas for improvement. If you must, ensure you’re not presenting it in a way where the positive feedback is meant to make team members “feel better” about the areas for improvement. This blunts both the positive and negative feedback and feels less genuine.
We're Pumpkin Pleased to Remind You of the Following
People and Culture by Maggie Peters, Director of People and Culture & Alyssa De La Cruz Sr. HR Business Partner
Important November Dates:
- November 5 – Pay Day
- November 9 – Expense Reports Due
- November 11 – CONSTANT Holiday: Veterans Day
- November 15 – Timesheets Due
- November 20 – Pay Day
- November 21 – Expense Reports Due
- November 28 – CONSTANT Holiday: Thanksgiving Day
- November 29 – Timesheets Due
Performance Reviews: We’re grateful for the opportunity to support your growth and development. As we approach the end of the year, it’s a great time to reflect on your professional growth and achievements. Your year-end performance review is an opportunity to discuss your progress, goals, and future aspirations with your managers.
Please see below for a high-level timeline and stay tuned for more details on the process:
- Opens October 1, 2024: PERFORM launches review templates
- Due by October 31, 2024: Team member submits self review
- Due by November 30, 2024: Manager completes team member review
- Effective January 17, 2025: Merit becomes effective
To ensure a productive and insightful review, here are some tips to help you prepare:
- Reflect on Your Performance: Take some time to think about your key accomplishments, challenges, and areas for improvement over the past year.
- Review Your Goals: Review your job description, performance expectations, and 30/60/90-day roadmap to see how well you’ve aligned with your goals.
- Gather Evidence: Collect evidence of your achievements, such as client feedback, project outcomes, and any certifications or training you’ve completed.
- Identify Areas for Growth: Think about areas where you’d like to develop your skills and knowledge.
- Set Future Goals: Consider your career aspirations and discuss how you see your role evolving in the coming years.
Remember, your performance review is a collaborative process. Be open and honest with your manager, listen to their feedback, and ask questions. Together, you can create a plan for your continued growth and development.
Isolved Employee Self-Service (ESS): ESS is like a turkey, the centerpiece of our P&C technology. Please keep your profile up to date. It’s important to ensure your information in isolved is accurate and up to date. This will help guarantee that your W-2 form is processed correctly and sent to the correct address at the end of the year.
Please take a moment to review and update the following information:
- Address: Double-check your home address to ensure its accurate and current.
- Tax Information: Verify that your tax withholding information is correct. Any changes to your filing status or number of dependents should be updated promptly.
- Beneficiaries: Check in EASE and American Funds (401(k)) that your beneficiaries are current.
- Emergency Contacts: Please ensure your Emergency Contacts (“Employee Contacts” in isolved) are current, including name and phone number.
By keeping your information current, you’re helping to ensure a smooth and accurate W-2 process. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Timekeeping Reminders: Did you know that accurate timesheets are essential for our company’s DCAA compliance? It’s important to us that everyone’s hours are recorded correctly to ensure compliance with government regulations.
Here are some tips to help you maintain accurate timesheets:
Ensure Minimum Hours are Covered on Each Pay Period:
- Always double-check your timesheet to make sure you’ve met the minimum required hours for each pay period.
Submit Timesheet Prior to Going Out on PTO:
- If you’re planning to be out on PTO, please submit your timesheet before you leave.
Holiday Swapping:
- If you wish to swap a holiday for another day (perhaps you observe another day or you have to work on a CONSTANT holiday), get pre-approval from your manager.
- Swaps must occur within the same calendar year.
- Please include comments on your timesheet explaining the dates you’re swapping.
Over Max Hours for Pay Period with PTO:
- If you’ve worked over the maximum hours for a pay period and are also taking PTO, you may want to reduce your PTO hours to meet the minimum required hours.
Under Minimum Hours for Pay Period:
- If you’ve worked fewer than the minimum required hours for a pay period, you’ll need to make up the difference with overhead hours.
Professional Development: Did you know you have over +160 courses and 25 paths available to you on isolved? Our CONSTANT University courses were created by our own team members and cover our practice areas (Emerging Threats, Emergency Management, and Health Preparedness & Security; plus, industry-specific topics. There are many other courses available, such as leadership, MS Office, Diversity & Inclusion, Communications, and many more.
Benefits: 2025 401(k) contribution limits are $23,500 for those under age 50. For those turning 50 or older next year, the catch-up allows you to contribute $31,000. You can change your contribution at any time.
FSA Dollars – Use it or Lose it: As the year comes to a close, it’s time to check in on your Flexible Spending Account(s) (FSA). Remember, FSAs have a “use it or lose it” provision, which means any unused funds at the end of the year will be forfeited.
Here are some tips to help you make the most of your Healthcare and/or Dependent Care FSA:
- Check Your Balance: Take a look at your FSA balances to see how much you have remaining. The HC FSA will allow you to carry over $640 of unused funds to the next plan year.
- Review Eligible Expenses: Familiarize yourself with the types of expenses that are eligible for reimbursement from your FSA. For more information, click
- Plan Ahead: If you have a significant amount of funds remaining, consider planning for future medical expenses or purchases to use before 1/31/2025.
- Don’t Forget About Dependent Care Expenses: If you have dependent care expenses, such as childcare or adult daycare, these may also be eligible for reimbursement from your DC FSA.
By using your FSA(s) wisely, you can help save money by reducing your taxes.
Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
EDI by Co-Leads Manny Rodriguez, Maggie Peters, and Alyssa De La Cruz
For November, Alyssa De La Cruz, Sr. HRBP, wrote an article on Veterans and Military Families. Alyssa describes growing up in San Antonio, known as “Military City, USA” created a lasting impression on her. You can find this insightful article here. Thanks to all the EDI Committee members for writing these important articles so we can continue to learn together!
Next Meeting: Our next EDI Committee Meeting will be November 20. The meeting is linked on the Staff Calendar. All meeting presentations and educational articles can be found on the P&C SharePoint site EDI Committee
Reach out to Manny, Alyssa and Maggie, EDI Co-Leads, if you need to assist a client with their EDI efforts or how to incorporate EDI into our engagements.
This Could Be the Start of Pumpkin Big
Finance By Carmen Khouri, Controller
I am happy to announce that the new Travel policy is well on its way to being released.
As industry standards and travel offerings from airlines change, so does government policy. Due to the new fees occurring in travel and new updates being issued by the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) and U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), CONSTANT’s Travel Policy was due for an update.
Some of the new features include real world examples as well as updated links and resources that can be referenced as needed such as GSA per diem rates. You can also find a clear and concise breakdown of each facet of travel such as airfare, rental cars, and meals. Please be on the lookout for when it gets released!
Wishing you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Gobble Gobble Gobble Turkey and Intune Dressing
Information Technology By Morgan Forrest, IT Manager
This month marks the full roll out of the Intune Group Policy. This will actively change a couple of items but mostly on the back end.
- After 15 minutes of being idle, the screen with automatically lock.
- Virus and updates will be handled automatically and completed during off hours.
- Idle log out of SharePoint sites after 12 hours.
- Standardized laptop firewall settings.
These changes bring us closer to the required policies for our CMMC 2.0 level 2 accreditation. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the help desk. Enjoy this awesome Fall Weather!
Our mission is to make the world a safer place.
It’s that simple, and that’s why we are here. We have a strategic plan for the next three years, called CONSTANT Strategy, which outlines what our biggest priorities are:
- Take care of our people
- Forward our mission
- Respond to our clients’ most pressing needs
- Expand strategically across markets
- Build infrastructure for the future
To help us execute on our mission, we have developed the CONSTANT Credo and our aligned core values (see the graphic below). We live by these.
CONSTANT Credo
