DP&R Newsletter September 2023
Chels Chae
The year 2023 has been a great season for DP&R. We continued to perform exceptionally well in all contracts, thanks to all of you! We continue to remain profitable and receive recognition for great work climate and our employees’ well-being. As we look forward to 2024 and beyond, we will experience some transitions – some good and some challenging – in a couple of different areas: In December this year, DP&R will successfully graduate from the SBA’s 8a Program where our eligibility to receive sole source contract awards will end. We will, however, retain the status as a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) company which allows us to compete in all solicitations that are set aside for SDVOSB companies. That privilege will help us to continue to grow. In the short term, all of you may not notice any difference at all since most of you will be working on contracts that will be active for several years longer. Also, in our effort to reduce company operations expenses, I have decided to move from a brick-and-mortar office to virtual. This transition will nearly be imperceptible since several of our key staff members are supporting the company from remote locations today. There will be some changes to our operations such as locations and format of our semiannual employee training sessions, in-person meetings, physical address of the company as examples.
The most important thing to remember is that we are here to support and do all we can to enable you to do what you do best at your workplace. Keep the communication channel open and steady and always share your good ideas to make us better.
We will continue live and work to achieve our vision daily: We build Trust, Loyalty and Excellence.
David Ngo
I'm excited to highlight the incredible achievements the DP&R team has accomplished graduating the 8a program.
Since transitioning to DP&R’s headquarters, I never knew the mechanics of how small businesses are run. Being in the 8a program doesn't mean contracts falls in your lap. I have seen first-hand how the core staff work countless hours, dedicating late nights, brainstorm, and courageously take risks on opportunities to further grow the company. They've immersed themselves in the solicitation documents, seized opportunities to collaborate, and harnessed the power of mentorship to shape the company’s vision.
While we transition out of 8a program, testament to the importance of education, resilience, and unwavering commitment, DP&R is now equipped with newfound insights and perspectives. I'm confident that DP&R will continue to win contracts with contract vehicles and make meaningful contributions to our communities, customers, and employees.
To the entire DP&R team, I thank you for your determination, hard work, and boundless creativity. Your success with the customer reflects your dedication to the company and your personal growth as well.
"Graduating 8a is not the end; it's the beginning of a new chapter filled with endless possibilities."
Desiree Marts
Today, a dispersed workforce is not uncommon. Especially in government contracting, we find teams spread far and wide, perhaps with one headquarters location or several main hubs of operations. Some organizations are even fully remote.
Dynamic Planning & Response has always been a dispersed team, however in the past few years, we’ve been able to widen our footprint to the mainland and even some U.S. territories. Our team members are the most important part of our company when we think of achieving our goals.
As an effort to keep our team engaged and connected, we have several initiatives to accomplish such a goal. From virtual employee engagement events and semi-annual training sessions to leadership site-visits and travel awards to HQ celebrations, we are happy to invest in our workforce. We’ve seen benefits of off-site and remote employees feeling more connected through these efforts, transparency of HQ operations, and the freedom to approach leadership that they’ve recently seen face-to-face, whether in-person or virtually.
As DP&R will graduate from the 8(a) small business program in December, we look forward to widening our footprint even further, gaining larger contract opportunities, and adding an even greater and more diverse number of team members to our team.
We will be able to grow our benefit offerings, as well as continue to invest in employee engagement and satisfaction efforts.
With these upcoming changes, we will be aware of the unique local cultures and diversity that might present challenges for our team. With this knowledge we’ll be able to provide specific support to our team members with various backgrounds and environments for each location.
At DP&R, our goal is to innovate and continue to be the best company for our community, whether across the United States or in U.S. territories or even across the globe. Our team members play a vital part in that initiative, and we are so proud of the hard work they do individually and as teams in order to accomplish these goals wherever they might be.
"None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful." – Mother Teresa
Joshua Tyler
Come December we will graduate the 8(a) program after eleven years of participation. An accomplishment only 35% of companies achieve and after having spent the last two years as part of the management team, I can see why. Being a small business competing against larger companies is no easy feat.
Nobody gets to be just logistics, just operations, just business development etc. We all must wear multiple hats and we have to learn them quickly to effectively support all of you. An accomplishment validated by all of you when we were awarded Best Places to Work in Hawaii again this year. In addition, we must compete and win new work in a larger pool of competitors.
While some may consider graduating the 8(a) program a limiting factor, I would argue it’s more a feather in our cap and indication of our ability to persevere through adversity and achieve success in a challenging environment. This is how I intend to present us to potential customers and partners as we continue to compete for more opportunities and grow DP&R outside of the 8(a) program.
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill
Maggi Devoto
Beyond the Horizon
Small businesses are the backbone of America. Whether born in the USA or coming here from all over the world, people hope to achieve their dream of owning a business and operating it in freedom and prosperity. The American dream. Our CEO, Chels Chae, has seen this dream come to fruition because of hard work, dedication, and a team full of diverse and capable people. Don’t get me wrong, this dream is not one that is easily traveled on a road well marked with successes and goals achieved. It is full of speed bumps and sometimes wrong turns. There are inevitable disappointments and failures – some small and easily overcome, some large and seemingly insurmountable. The hills and valleys that mark each of our journeys through this life.
However, facing these obstacles is not the time to give up. Being a part of a small business builds character through perseverance. I am reminded of a Bible verse in Romans, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” Imagine if we change our perspective to see trials and suffering as opportunities for growth, both personally and professionally. As they say, this is when the going gets tough and the tough get going.
When we graduate out of the 8(a) program at the end of this year, my hope is that we will all feel encouraged and not overwhelmed. It is a natural process to grow out of a season of life. As people, whether personally or professionally, we should always be looking to the next chance for growth and change in our lives. This transition out of 8(a) will be an opportunity to grow our company into something even more diverse and excellent. While we will undoubtedly experience some growing pains, if we approach these challenges with the right attitude, we can learn important lessons and move forward in unity with a clear direction and goal.
Personally, I will be looking for ways to stretch out of my comfort zone and be the best version of myself. Looking ahead to what’s just beyond the horizon. My goal as part of the DP&R team is to be available, encouraging, and constantly looking for ways to make the company better for everyone. We all have our individual roles but collectively we should strive to be united in our mission to provide professional services with unmatched excellence and innovation to earn our customer’s loyalty and be the best company for our community. The mission never changes.
Kelly Byerley
Transitioning out of 8(a) comes with many financial changes. One of the most anticipated changes for DP&R is the ability to go after larger contracts. Under 8(a) we are limited to $4.5 million in service contracts, and that threshold will be lifted once we graduate. Larger contracts equal more revenue, and more revenue will allow DP&R to seek out even larger efforts. We can focus on capitalizing on opportunities to subcontract on recompetes of existing 8(a) contracts that may expire upon graduation.
Increased revenue will also allow us to contribute more towards our communities. Our mission statement clearly states the importance of giving back to our community and graduating from 8(a) can help us increase our charitable contributions.
“We provide professional services with unmatched excellence and innovation to gain our customer’s loyalty and be the best company for our community.” –DP&R Mission Statement
“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning." —Benjamin Franklin
Street Parking Benefit
DP&R is partnering with STREET PARKING!
We are SO excited to introduce a new benefit to our team!
Considering the name "STREET PARKING", one might easily think this is a vehicle parking benefit or a commuter benefit. :)
However, Street Parking is an online fitness program AND community!
Click here for a short video: What is Street Parking?
In short, it allows "THOSE WITH LIMITED TIME, SPACE, OR EQUIPMENT THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR FITNESS."
The Street Parking fitness program allows for fitness at any age, any fitness level, any amount of space and time you have.
Daily workouts are between 10-20 min long, high intensity, and absolutely achievable for anyone.
Watch this video for a few minutes of an in depth look into what Street Parking has to offer: 5 years Consistency
Sign up for Street Parking anytime from 1 October - 7 October!
Please see the brochure attached for the steps to sign up as a member.
If you are an ACTIVE DP&R employee, DP&R will reimburse your monthly membership fee once you've reached the three months mark and provide us with proof of payment and a screenshot of your "trophy case" or "logbook" to show us you've been completing the workouts! As simple as that! If you commit to continuing your membership, we'll continue reimbursement as long as you send us your receipts along with a screenshot of your trophy case!
