In keeping true to its mission of charitable giving, ProSol is a proud sponsor of the Build A House Project. The company played a large roll in two events (The Sixth Annual Major Douglas A. Zembiec Memorial Golf Tournament and the Urban Challenge) that were designed to raise money for the Build A House Project. For more pictures and information on the Build A House Project, please visit pscharities.org

In a recent article on The Huffington Post, ProSol researchers Dr. Frank Tortorello and Dr. William Marcellino discuss their findings on Military suicide.

Their research is sponsored by the Marines Training and Education Command and Center for Advanced Operational Culture Learning (CAOCL).

Read the full article here.

Read the full article here.

Dr. Frank J. Tortorello, Jr. is a socio-cultural anthropologist who develops and researches foundational issues that impact the Marine Corps's global deployment and war fighting capabilities. Dr. Tortorello focuses on Marine Corps culture and how the Corps replicates its values through training and everyday work. His research examines how Marine Corps culture both enhances and detracts from its ability to deploy globally across the spectrum of missions from conventional warfare to humanitarian relief. He has a special interest in resilience training, defined as managing value conflicts and ethics in warfare, and in the assessment of the impact of cultural training on Marine Corps operations.

Dr. William M. Marcellino is a researcher in sociolinguistics and discourse analysis, who provides research support for the USMC's Center for Advanced Operational Culture Learning. His research focus is in resilience and cohesion issues, and he is a former U.S. Marine Corps officer and enlisted. The views presented in this work are the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Defense, the U.S. Government, or ProSol, LLC.

To learn more about The Language GAME, click here to read the article.

Reprinted/posted courtesy of the Marine Corps Gazette. Copyright retained by the Marine Corps Gazette.

This statewide survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in North Carolina, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses. 

To be considered for participation, companies had to fulfill the following eligibility requirements:

• Be a for-profit, not-for-profit business or government entity;
• Be a publicly or privately held business;
• Have a facility in the state of North Carolina;
• Have at least 15 employees in North Carolina; and
• Must be in business a minimum of 1 year.

Companies from across the state entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Employers in North Carolina.  The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25% of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75% of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking.  Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process in North Carolina and also analyzed the data and used their expertise to determine the final rankings. 

For more pictures and information on the Build A House Project, please visit pscharities.org

On December 17, 2011, a ribbon cutting ceremony took place celebrating the opening of the new permanent building of the Afghan Culture Center (ACC) at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan. ProSol employee Qamar Jabarkhiel, who directly supports Major General John Toolan, the Commander for the entire 2nd Marine Division, was on hand to join in the opening festivities.

In addition, ProSol donated $3,000 to fund the opening day festivities, which included providing local Afghan foods and musicians. This donation not only provided for great entertainment to local residents, delegates, and United States servicemen, but it also pumped money into the local economy.

To learn more about this event, including an article and photos posted in Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System website, click here.

ProSol CEO Michael Dean was honored by the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation (MCSF) with the Semper Fidelis Award, which was presented to Dean at the organization's Patriots at Pebble, Marines Hit the Beach golf tournament. Dean was honored for creating an organization that fosters employee growth and teamwork, along with the mission of providing the best services to ProSol’s customers.

The Semper Fidelis Award is presented each year to an outstanding American for their patriotic service. This award recognizes individuals whose service to our Nation exemplifies the Marine Corps motto to remain “Always Faithful.” Recipients have demonstrated reoccurring commitment - and decades of selfless service - to an effort which contributes to the betterment of our society. Past recipients include President Gerald Ford, Walter Cronkite, Donald Rumsfeld, H. Ross Perot, George Steinbrenner and Walter Havenstein of BAE Systems.

Patriots at Pebble golf tournament supports the American Patriots Campaign, an ambitious program to raise $50 million by the Scholarship Foundation’s 50th Anniversary in 2012. The goals of the campaign are to increase need-based scholarships to $5,000 each and provide up to $30,000 to every child of a Marine whose Marine parent has been killed in combat on or since September 11, 2001, as part of the Fund our Heroes Tribute Scholarships. To date, the Scholarship Foundation has raised $41 million for the campaign

Photograph by Jeff Riedel

ProSol's PERRES training program was recently featured in "On a Mission to Save You", an article in Men's Health Magazine on Military fitness. Click to page 4 to read more about PERRES under "Win the Mental Battle."

ProSol celebrated its 10th anniversary with a series of celebrations that culminated in the announcement of several employee accomplishment awards - employee of the year; innovator of the year; and volunteer of the year.

Each nominee for the employee of the year award exemplified ProSol's underlying credo - to provide outstanding service to our customers. The nominees were:

• Mason Baggett
• Josh Creson
• Israel Figueroa
• Jeff Price

After careful consideration, the winner of the employee of the year award was Jeff Price, task manager recruiter. Throughout 2011, Jeff was a valuable asset to the ProSol team. His efforts to lead his client's east coast recruiters was demonstrated by his team's performance and screening to overcome shortfalls created by the previous mission line. These and other accomplishments by Jeff and his team led to the client making an unannounced visit to Jeff's worksite, where he was singled out in making an "unbelievable impact" in a short amount of time.

ProSol CEO Michael J. Dean provided additional insight to Jeff's accomplishments. "Because of employees like Jeff, it can’t be understated how impressive he and his whole team have been since the beginning of this contract. This will truly pay dividends in the future for ProSol and our other employees," he said.

In addition to employee of the year, Shaun Torres was selected as the innovator of the year for his exemplary work in the company's information technology (IT) department. Michelle Rademacher was honored as volunteer of the year for her many accomplishments in performing charity work.

View employee of the year nominees video below.

ProSol was ranked 5th as Virginia Business Best Places to Work for 2012. This employee-satisfaction survey and award program, created by Virginia Business and Best Companies Group, was designed to identify, recognize, and honor the best places of employment in Virginia benefiting the state's economy, its workforce, and businesses.

To be considered for participation, companies must fulfill the following criteria:

• Be a for-profit or not-for-profit business or government entity
• Be a publicly or privately held business
• Have a facility in the state of Virginia
• Have a minimum of 15 employees working in the state of Virginia
• Must be in business a minimum of 1 year

Various companies from across the state of Virginia entered the survey to be considered. The survey consists of two parts: evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics; and measuring the employee experience. The combined scores determined the top organizations and the final ranking.

"Each Future 50 winner has effectively translated their passion and innovation into tremendous growth and success," said Jaime Nespor-Park, publisher ofSmartCEO magazine. "We are honored to recognize the 50 fastest-growing companies in Greater Washington."

ProSol CEO Michael J. Dean commented that ProSol's continued growth and success is a reflection of the dedication and hard work of the company's employees. "Thank you [ProSol employees] for your hard work and support. This award recoginizes you."

For more information about the SmartCEO Fast 50, visit the official website.

View photo gallery below. 

While on his fourth combat tour conducting operations in the Herat province of Afghanistan, MSGT Pearl suffered traumatic brain injury and third degree burns on over 90% of his body after his vehicle was struck by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). As a result of the injuries endured, doctors were forced to amputate both of Pearl's legs and one of his arms.

Sponsored by PS Charities, the “Build a House BBQ” raised more than $40,000 for the Pearl Family. The funds will go toward building a custom house that meets Pearl’s disability needs.

ProSol CEO Michael J. Dean attended the event and was grateful for the turnout and funds raised for the Pearl family. "This event was a great gathering of friends of Eden Pearl, his comrades, brothers and sisters in arms, as well as people who simply wanted to help a wounded veteran and his family," said Dean. "I want to thank everyone for making this event an unprecedented success. Special thanks to our lead volunteer, Michelle Rademacher, for her superb effort, as well as our key volunteers Lindsey Orabona and Leidy Ortiz."

View re-cap video and photo gallery below.

The award ceremony's gala affair, which took place at the Hyatt Regency Reston in Reston, Virginia, honored leading local government contractors who have demonstrated excellence in the categories of Technical Trailblazer, Star Workplace, Star Performer, Star Warfighter and Industry Star.

LuAnn Dean, ProSol's president, and Michelle Geddes, the company's chief administrative officer, attended the event and accepted the award on behalf of the company. ProSol was a finalist in the Star Performer category.

View photo gallery below (all photos courtesy SmartCEO) 

A variety of auction items were given away, including a trip to Panama City Beach, Florida; an executive retreat at the beautiful Rosemont Manor; and a dinner-and-movie date night in Washington, D.C. Total proceeds came to $80,000.

Related Link: Watch ABC News interview of Dr. Christy Teal discuss "no regrets" following preventative mastectomy

Dr. Christy Teal, the Head of the GWU Breast Care Center, made some heartfelt comments on the importance of this event to the GWU Patient Assistance Fund. As Christy mentioned, with support from the Fund, which did not start until PS Charities held its first silent auction three years ago, the Breast Care Center has helped women overcome financial burdens and has established educational seminars for patients transitioning from treatment.

At the center, they believe that the type of care you receive as a patient can influence how well you recover. The center seeks to help patients successfully move through all stages of the continuum of care for breast cancer diagnoses. The Fund has also provided support with overdue utility bills; rent subsidies; transportation expenses; babysitting expenses so a patient can keep her medical appointments; medications related to breast cancer diagnosis or treatment; bras for mastectomy patients; physical therapy; Lymphedema care; and sessions with the Reiki Master and Naturopath at the Center for Integrative Medicine.

ProSol CEO Michael J. Dean thanked member of Team ProSol who made the event a success. "Your commitment to being something larger than ourselves is what makes events like these a success," he said. Special thanks go to Sam Penico (lead volunteer); Lisa McKeon; Melissa Hart; Beth Moss; Michelle Ellia; Jackie Albright; Jon Carlo Trujillo and his wife, Cheyenne; Hilary Mehrer; Christina Maddox; Sean DeWyngaert; Maryam Wakman; Duane McQueen; Adelaide Williams; Holly Li; Jen Jenkins; Jon Dean; and Carlos Prado.

View photo gallery below (all photos by Jennifer Jenkins) 

ProSol CEO Michael J. Dean thanked supporters, golfers, and volunteers of the event. "Thanks to everyone for your support and commitment to being something larger than ourselves," he said. "Your support and generosity made the tournament a tremendous success."

Since 2007, ProSol has provided wide-ranging support to the VA, with such tasks as updating the agency's web-based training materials; providing 508-compliance quality assurance of the agency's online publications; and the re-design of several online training courses.

Parent, a CQB instructor on ProSol's MARSOC MSOS contract, will be participating in upcoming matches such as the NC State Championship, the Monster Match in Frostproof, Florida, and the Area 2 Championship in Mesa, Arizona.

Check out Parent during a recent competition.

• Fulfills training requests at CONUS and OCONUS locations in response to both advance and immediate fill notices;
• Coordinates long-range requirements and has instituted systematic processes that facilitate timely service delivery;
• Assists in the creation of a training and education program for regional culture and language; and
• Develops and provides training in a number of languages, including French, Portuguese, Russian and modern standard Arabic to Marine officers awaiting the start of flight school.

ProSol CEO Michael J. Dean thanked the staff of the Training and Analysis (T&A) Division for their efforts on the re-compete.

"I want to congratulate the T&A team, led by Dave Elwing (division director); our CAOCL program manager Josh Creson; Viola Barnes, who supported the capture and proposal effort; and all who participated for a job well done," he said. "We have consistently demonstrated the ability to be flexible and focused on the client, managing multiple task orders and short notice requests while continuing to provide quality regional cultural and language services to the U.S. Marine Corps."

Angela Pitts

Congratulations to Ms. Pitts on receiving her Program Management Professional (PMP) certification. The Program Management Institute's PMP certification is the most important industry-recognized certification for project and program managers. This accomplishment consistently follows ProSol's continued effort in developing a more professional and capable workforce to better support the company's clients.

The PMP certification is globally recognized and demonstrates that a certified PMP professional possesses the experience, education, and competency to successfully lead and direct ProSol's current and future contract endeavors.

J.D. Bullard

Mr. Bullard received a spot award for his performance on a MARSOC contract. His team lead, Captain G. Roy Bechtold, SOTC-1 OIC, MSOS SOTB, recently sent a message to CEO Michael J. Dean:

“I wanted to send you this message on the exemplary performance of J.D. Bullard while serving as a medic in support of the exercise Raider Spirit from 28 July to 5 August. Raider Spirit is an intensive nine-day patrolling exercise where the Individual Training Course students are constantly moving and patrolling through the Verona Loop training area.

"Through the conduct of the exercise, Marines going down for heat exhaustion was a constant occurrence. J.D. was part of no less than three medevacs every night that he was on duty. The medical evaluation and treatment was instrumental in aiding my determination on whether a student could remain in training or needed to seek further care. Specifically on the morning of 5 August, the class was conducting a timed six-mile movement as the final mission of the exercise. One of the students started showing symptoms of heat exhaustion; J.D. checked his core temperature and it was 108 degrees. J.D. immediately informed me that a CASEVAC was required and began actively cooling the Marine. While the Marine was being treated he became violent disoriented. J.D. held the Marine down so that he could be cooled, and at the same time, he spoke with emergency services updating the paramedics as well as myself on the Marine's status so that when they arrived they would better be able to treat the Marine.

"It took 15 minutes from the time that the Marine was determined to be a heat casualty to the time that he was loaded onto the ambulance. Thanks to J.D.'s expert knowledge, his ability to remain calm and properly assess the situation he enabled that Marine to make a full recovery and remain in training. J.D. is sought after time and time again by my section for his expertise and constantly requested to cover our field evolutions. He is an outstanding medic and I am writing him up a formal letter of appreciation from the command.

"I just wanted to make sure that you guys at ProSol are aware of the great job that he does keeping my Marines and the Marines of MSOS safe. Semper Fi.”

Congratulations to Angela and J.D. for a job well done.

The finalists were: Josh Creson (CAOCL); Jeff Price (MARSOC); Hamid Lellou (CAOCL); Dave Galleo (MARSOC); Katherine Tredent (HQ); Brent Cheek (CTC); Hector Stoll (FTTTF); Frank Tortorello (CAOCL); Robbie Reid (DHS); and Abdul Samay Ahmadzai (CAOCL).

Josh Creson

The winner of the Eagle Award was Josh Creson.

Josh came to ProSol to fill a business development executive position in February 2011. Shortly after his arrival, ProSol's CAOCL program manager left to pursue other opportunities. When approached by management, Josh accepted the position as the CAOCL program manager knowing full well that he had big shoes to fill.

The CAOCL program includes the management of over 50 employees, both CONUS and OCONUS; ever-changing MC requirements with multiple deployments; emergent travel requests; and a requirement to interface with not just the director of the program but with several section leads on a daily basis. In order to manage this program effectively, it was paramount that Josh work quickly to gain the respect and trust of the customer’s management team and appropriate corporate personnel from Contracts, Talent Management, and Finance. Josh quickly immersed himself into the program and had an immediate impact on all fronts.

Josh’s previous success as a program manager included many of the same aspects that the CAOCL contract has. He was familiar with managing staff deployed in war zones, the intricacies of fiscal issues, managing to customer expectations and employing proven program management processes, such as recruiting, to ensure program success at all levels. This experience enabled him to step into the program and immediately become effective. Accolades from the CAOCL's director, and ProSol's performance on the contract as well as the positive retention rate of ProSol employees, have made it clear that Josh has been very successful in his new role.

Josh’s commitment to the customer, his employees, and to the core values of ProSol, make him the ideal recipient of the Q2 Eagle Award. Congratulations, Josh, for a job well done.

For the third consecutive year, ProSol has made Washington Technology magazine's Fast 50 list.  The Fast 50 is a list of the fastest-growing small businesses in the Washington, DC, area based on five years of revenue data and is open to small businesses in the government contracting market.

ProSol ranked #38 in this year’s rankings. ProSol CEO Michael J. Dean thanked his team for the company's continued success. "Congratulations goes out to all of our team. Everything we do is a team effort. It is because of your hard work and dedication that we again received this ranking," he said.

The company won a re-compete to support the U.S. Marine Corps' Communication Training Centers (CTC) at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina; Camp Pendleton, California; and Okinawa, Japan. Since 2008, ProSol has provided support to the Corps' wartime missions and the Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC’s) guidance to better educate and train the Marines to succeed in distributed operations and increasingly complex environments. In addition, this training assists in rebalancing the Corps, and postures it for the future and aggressively experiments with and implements new capabilities.

In addition, IM&TS Division's ongoing support of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continues with a new contract to support the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) web-based training effort, the 2011 Tele-Retinal Competency Assessment. ProSol will assist the VHA in the development of 10 new case studies to be included in the assessment and maintained in their SCORM compliant Learning Management System.

In keeping with the company's charities efforts, team ProSol in North Carolina supported a successful Happy Hour with PS Charities at Rick’s Restaurant & Sports Bar in Snead’s Ferry. This effort raised awareness in the community for the upcoming Charity Golf Tournament, which will be held on September 23, 2011, at the North Shore Country Club. Team ProSol raised over $1,000 at Happy Hour, and all proceeds will benefit families and patients undergoing treatment for Leukemia-Lymphoma at the UNC Lineberger Cancer Center in Chapel Hill.

For more information about the tournament, visit PS Charities here.

ProSol will be honored as a finalist for the 2011 GovStar Awards, which celebrates the achievements of Greater Washington's government contractors for their technological innovation, workplace environment, growth, veteran support and ability to overcome significant challenges.

ProSol will be featured in the October issue of Smart CEO magazine and winners in five categories will be announced on October 13th, 2011, at the Hyatt Reston in Virginia.

For the fourth consecutive year, ProSol has made the Inc. 500|5000 list of the fastest–growing private companies in America for 2010. The company joins a rarified list of enterprises that have appeared multiple times, and many of these firms have grown to become national icons. ProSol's ranking on the list will be announced later this year.

ProSol CEO Michael J. Dean thanked the ProSol team for a job well done. "Congratulations to all of you at team ProSol. Everything we do is a team effort. It is because of your hard work and dedication that we have been selected as a GovStar finalist and our continued phenomonal growth lands on the Inc. 500/5000 list."

ProSol teamed up with Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and other sponsors at the 1st annual Ruth's Chris Steak House Annual Charity Golf Classic. The tournament, held at Pleasant Valley Golf Club in Chantilly, Virginia, raised $14,500, $10,000 of which will benefit INOVA Fair Oaks hospital, and the remaining $4,500 benefitting the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure which takes place later this year.

The ProSol foursome participating in the event was Michael J. Dean; LuAnn Dean; Matt McKeon; and Earl Kennedy.

Doranne Hughes, regional vice president of Ruth's Chris Steak House and coordinator of the event, thanked those who participated. "We wanted to extend our sincere gratitude to our title sponsor, Three Brothers Land; our two porterhouse sponsors, Professional Solutions [ProSol] and Sigal Construction; our beverage cart sponsor, Abraham Melles and Crystal Management Group and Pleasant Valley Golf Club and its staff," she said. "All of us appreciate your support and consider ourselves lucky to call you our friends, partners and associates."

ProSol's commitment to excellence continues with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The company recently won a prime contract with VA's Office of Construction and Facilities Management Web Site Development and Support Services.

Congratulations to Earl Kennedy and his team at IM&TS Division.

On June 22, 2011, Matt McKeon, director of ProSol's MO&A division, participated in the Total 200 Bike Ride to raise money for the George Washington University's Breast Care Center Patient Assistance Fund. This was the second year that Matt rode in the event . He covered 202.3 miles in 13 hours 42 minutes.

Your generous contributions helped him raise over $7,000 this year for the Patient Assistance Fund.

Thank you Matt and everyone at ProSol and PS Charities who contributed to this cause. Because of you, we are able to make a difference in the lives of those fighting cancer.

On June 10, 2011, ProSol teamed up with PS Charities to sponsor Happy Hour at Murphy's Irish Pub in Alexandria, Virginia, in support Matt McKeon's Total 200 bike ride. Matt, an avid cyclist, will be participating in the Total 200 ride on June 25th to raise funds for the GWU Breast Care Center's Patient Assistance Fund.

A variety of great prizes - including gift certificates from P.F. Chang, Cheesecake Factory, Victoria's Secret, and others - were raffled off during the event. With ProSol's matching contribution to Happy Hour, almost $5,000 was raised for the GWU Breast Care Center.

ProSol wishes to thank the volunteers who made the event a success, with special thanks going to Jackie Albright, Natalie Teisler, Lindsay Haase, and Lisa McKeon.

If you would like to contribute to Matt McKeon's Total 200 ride in support of the Patient Assistance Fund, visit the donate page at PS Charities.

Shafiq Mubarak

Shafiq (Training and Analysis Division) is deployed to Afghanistan and is part of the Regimental Combat Team - 1st Marines (RCT-1) CULAD. Shafiq received a service award this week from the Regimental Combat Team 1 (RCT-1) commanding officer, Colonel Dave Furness:

"General, this is my cultural advisor, Mr. Shafiq Mubarak. Mr. Shafiq is my right hand and I can't do anything without him. Mr. Shafiq directly assists in direct engagements with Afghan leaders and political decision makers. He has been instrumental in the pursuit of the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, the winning of "hearts and minds.

"Mr. Mubarak is an elite cultural advisor who is relied upon heavily by RCT-1 for both his area knowledge and linguistic proficiency to bring operational success where it would be extremely challenging otherwise. Mr. Shafiq's efforts have significantly contributed to RCT-1's successes in southern Helmand Province Afghanistan. As you can see, Mr. Shafiq wears a U.S. Marine uniform and goes where the Marines go, placing himself in similar risk as the Marines every day."

Kevin Naughton

Kevin (Special Operations Division) is an instructor at MSOS (Marine Special Operations School), Marksmanship CQB (Close Quarters Battle). ProSol CEO Michael J. Dean recently received a memorandum from Captain Seely, the officer-in-charge of Marine Special Operation School’s, Special Operations Training Cadre-II’s (SOTC-II), recognizing Kevin's outstanding service:

“Mr. Naughton’s energetic, demanding drive for realistic training and perfected CQB skills is seen in the ITC student’s overwhelming favorable course critiques of his instructor performance.

“Mr. Naughton’s work ethic sets the bar for the Marine and Civilian Instructors in SOTC-II. Mr. Naughton took over sections instructional support ordering and tracking system, re-organized the sections’ storage lockers, inventoried thousands of items used for instructional support, located thousands of dollars worth of misplaced equipment, re-established inventory tracking and ordering procedures and established a process to track and inventory material used on a daily basis. Due to Mr. Naughton’s organizational skills, SOTC-II is now capable of tracking on-hand supplies and materials ensuring that redundant orders of supplies are not made, allowing SOTC-II to re-direct funds to other mission essential equipment and materials resulting in thousands of dollars of savings.

"Mr. Naughton’s superior achievements contributed greatly to the readiness of the Marine Special Operation School’s, Special Operations Training Cadre-II’s Section and the Individual Training Course student’s performance levels. His initiative and expertise have been truly distinctive and his dedication to duty provides an inspiring example for all Marines and instructors.”

Chris Humphrey

Chris (Special Operations Division) is the A&S Assistant Ops Chief. Chris’s performance during the preparation for A&S 3-11 has been outstanding. Through his professional performance, and being willing to work after hours on his own time, he was able to lock on 100% of the required training areas even though 45% of them required coordination with other units for co-use.

In the past, this has presented numerous problems due to units' unwillingness to cooperate. Chris’s people skills allowed him to develop a relationship with the other units' operations personnel and accomplish the mission. During the conduct of ASPOC 3-11, Chris provided the staff with training that allowed them to better break down student results and track performance. This resulted in 119 of the best students moving on to A&S as candidates.

Lindsey Orabona

Lindsey (Special Operations Division) assisted with recruiting, using out-of-the-box methods to attract local talent. Lindsey works with our other teammates to help assist with travel processing and other contractual processes. The program manager on ProSol's prime contract for G-9 continuously praises Lindsey for her professionalism and the support she offers.

Tyler Newton

Tyler (part of ProSol's IT team) drove into the office at 9:30 pm on a Saturday during a holiday weekend to re-boot company servers after a power outage. He helped restore the connectivity for the company's email, shared drive, and web servers.


Shaun Torres

Shaun (also a member of the IT team) remotely logged in from home while on vacation to re-boot company servers after a power outage. He helped restore the connectivity for the company's email, shared drive, and web servers.

Suzanne Ayres, Melissa Hart, and Beth Moss

Suzanne, Melissa, and Beth (all part of the Talent Management team) were recognized for the extra hours and effort put in to set up and complete the orientation of 10 new employees. All of their effort enabled the company to welcome these new employees on short notice.

Congratulations to all of these employees for a job well done.

Photo caption - General David Petraeus, Colonel Dave Furness, and Shafiq Mubarak (left to right) at a staff meeting. 

The tournament began at 8:30 am on a beautiful spring day when a full line-up of golfers left the clubhouse to tee off on two courses at Fort Belvoir. After the tournament, a buffet lunch was served as various awards were presented to individual golfers and foursomes, as well as the final fund-raising check.

At the conclusion, ProSol CEO Michael J. Dean offered personal thanks to volunteers and sponsors. He offered a special thanks to some key volunteers of the event: Lisa McKeon; Beth Moss; Jennifer Jenkins; Gary Goss; Dina MacWilliam; Samantha Pencio; Michael Chandler; and Natalie Teisler.

PS Charities and ProSol would like to thank all corporate sponsors who donated to this worthy cause, and to all of the volunteers who made the tournament a success.

Visit ProSol on Facebook to view photos of this event

The finalists were: Edwin Williams (instructor; CTC 2); Steve Wilson (SL/LNO; CAOCL; NC); Jeff Price (MARSOC East Coast recruiting task manager); John Doerr (task lead curriculum developer; CAOCL); Khaliq Raufi (I MEF mentor); Hamid Lellou (CAOCL Centcom analyst); Jared Surdin (TSOC EPD); and Natasha Woods (FTTTF).

The two winners of the Eagle Award were Jeff Price and Steve Wilson.

Jeff Price

Jeff Price

Jeff and his recruiting team have had unprecedented successes in MARSOC East Coast recruiting this quarter. During this quarter, Jeff was singled out by the CG MARSOC as making an unbelievable impact. Jeff received accolades from the field: “Immediately upon hiring, Jeff began to organize the office, staff and began a systematic recruiting process of creating and tracking leads from initial contact to final submission of applications, ensuring quality control and timely submissions. He trained and mentored the recruiting staff. On their very first mission, they met all deadlines and had the highest quality control measures ever achieved by the recruiting force.

“During the first six weeks of the contracting mission, the emphasis was placed on prospecting and screening to overcome the shortfalls created by the previous mission line. While in this six-week phase and faced with a significantly reduced recruiting staff, the team developed processes and procedures that were used to streamline the efforts. These procedures ensured timely submission of packages and produced the highest quality of submitted packages to date by the recruiting team. Those efforts produced 136 completed packages for three separate A&S classes by contacting 1,158 potential applicants, setting 451 appointments, conducting 393 interviews and processing 327 new working applicants.”

“These unprecedented successes led to the CG of MARSOC making an unannounced visit to the G-9. The CG personally congratulated the recruiting staff on their performance and its effect on the ability of MARSOC to continue to grow and meet all SOCOM requirements.”

Steve Wilson

Steve Wilson

A ProSol site lead for CAOCL in support of II MEF, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Steve made an immediate impact on our customer and with our employees at II MEF. Steve received comments from the field: “Steve Wilson has been a great co-worker, a friend and a father figure to those who work with him. He goes above and beyond and is great at multi-tasking. He is a true believer in winning the hearts and minds of those around him. One way to appreciate Steve’s work is to do without him for a single day; that’s when everything stops and the team cannot function without him.

“Steve's professional demeanor and leadership are evident on a daily basis. This rings loudly through the nominations of the employees of their boss."

Since joining ProSol and the CAOCL team at Camp Lejeune, Steve has boosted CAOCL’s reputation as a service oriented training provider of the Marine Expeditionary Force & its subordinate commands (45,000+ marines and sailors). Because of Steve’s focus on mission accomplishment and a thorough understanding of when to be adaptable to best meet the needs of the marines, his team’s contacts and success rates have soared.

The cohesive nature of teamwork which the Camp Lejeune-based CAOCL employees feel is a direct result of Steve’s mentoring, yet uncoddling nature. He is a demanding coach and leader. That which he demands of his employees he returns in spades in the form of looking out for their welfare, there development and their own sense of contribution.

Congratulations to Steve, Jeff, and the finalists for going above and beyond for ProSol's customers.

“[ProSol and] these growing companies are proof positive that optimism is very much alive in Virginia’s business community,” said Barry DuVal, President and CEO of the Virginia Chamber. “Small businesses are the economic engine of the Virginia economy, creating jobs necessary to revitalize the Commonwealth’s economy following the recent worldwide financial crisis.”

The Fantastic 50 award program is sponsored by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Cox Communications, Inc., Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP, SunTrust Bank, Virginia Business magazine and the Westfields Marriott. The networking reception prior to the awards banquet was sponsored by SAIC and Hunton & Williams. Multi-media and program sponsors include Washington Gas, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority and In Your Ear.

Nominations for the Fantastic 50 were sought statewide from local chambers, economic development organizations, small business development centers and through the sponsors’ networks. To be eligible, companies were required to be privately held, with headquarters in Virginia, and to show sales between $200,000 and $100 million. They were judged on a four-year sales revenue history.

Photo caption - ProSol employee Michelle Geddes is flanked by two Virginia Chamber of Commerce officials as she receives the "Fantastic Fifty" award on behalf of the company. 

Read the article here

More about TCOE

The facility opened on February 1, 2011, and affords ProSol more convenient access to one of the company's largest national capital region clients, the United States Marine Corps. ProSol supports multiple activities located at Marine Corps base Quantico. The majority of these contracts require the firm to provide access to meeting and conference facilities. Establishing a presence immediately outside the front gate provides that access and enables ProSol's staff to better support client activities.

ProSol's TCOE provides its staff with the use of a multimedia-friendly, state-of-the-art training and conferencing environment for internal functions, as well as allowing space for contracting functions and opportunities. To date, four of the TCOE classrooms have been made available to support language training offered to Marines through the company's CAOCL contract.

"In the future, ProSol's TCOE will be developed to offer our employees with a facility in which to conduct annual training requirements, as well as to offer professional development courses to our instructors and curriculum developers," said ProSol CEO Michael J. Dean. "As the TCOE matures, ProSol may consider offering the facility and its courses to other commercial ventures."

ProSol is also supporting the Avon Walk for the Cure from April 29-May 1, 2011. ProSol employee Beverly Hicks and her husband will be volunteering as crew members. This event involves a 39-mile walk held annually in nine different cities to help bring awareness to breast cancer.

The money raised will provide women and men the breast cancer screening, support, and treatment they need regardless of their ability to pay. It will also help power leading-edge research teams across the country, fueling their quest for a cure. ProSol will match any employee’s donation that is made to this event.

Travis Hanson, ProSol's task lead at MARSOC MSOC, and his race team will be racing to support Hope for the Warriors. The mission of Hope for the Warriors is to enhance the quality of life for U.S. service members and their families nationwide who have been adversely affected by injuries or death in the line of duty.

Hope for the Warriors actively seeks to ensure that the sacrifices of wounded and fallen warriors and their families are never forgotten, nor their needs unmet. 

Photo 1 - Travis Hanson and his team's race car complete with ProSol logo.

Photo 2 - Maegan Williams (third from left) and her team of volunteers.

Photo 3 - The devastation from the North Carolina tornadoes.

This is the second article Mr. Lellou has contributed to Marine Gazette. His first article, "Understanding Islam," can be read here.

Lellou, a U.S. Central Command/Africa Command analyst at the USMC Center for 
Advanced Operational Culture Learning in Quantico, Virginia, has a scientific background and 18 years of experience applying operational culture in business and military sectors.

Read Hamid Lellou's story here

ProSol was recently informed that the company is now an ISO 9001:2008 certified company. The journey to achieving this certification began two years ago, and resources were committed in earnest when ProSol hired John James as its quality systems manager in October 2009.

ISO certification is important for a number of reasons:

What Is ISO?

The International Organization for Standardization
World's largest developer and publisher of standards
Network of National Standards Institutes
Synonymous with quality
Worldwide calling card for professional companies

Why ISO 9001-2008 matters:

Controls quality, saves money
Customers expect it
Competitors use it
Establishes a quality attitude by creating a quality management system
Foundation for future certifications (CMMi, IPDS, FMEA, QFD, Six Sigma)

Congratulations to John James and to all who participated in this endeavor.

View official ISO certification

ProSol's newest corporate expansion is located at the Training Center of Excellence (TCOE) and corporate satellite office located in Triangle, Virginia.

The facility opened on February 1, 2011, and affords ProSol more convenient access to one of the company's largest national capital region clients, the United States Marine Corps. ProSol supports multiple activities located at Marine Corps base Quantico. The majority of these contracts require the firm to provide access to meeting and conference facilities. Establishing a presence immediately outside the front gate provides that access and enables ProSol's staff to better support client activities.

ProSol's TCOE provides its staff with the use of a multimedia-friendly, state-of-the-art training and conferencing environment for internal functions, as well as allowing space for contracting functions and opportunities. To date, four of the TCOE classrooms have been made available to support language training offered to Marines through the company's CAOCL contract.

"In the future, ProSol's TCOE will be developed to offer our employees with a facility in which to conduct annual training requirements, as well as to offer professional development courses to our instructors and curriculum developers," said ProSol CEO Michael J. Dean. "As the TCOE matures, ProSol may consider offering the facility and its courses to other commercial ventures."

Some of the many smiling faces at ProSol's 2011 birthday party.

On February 15, 2011, ProSol celebrated its ninth birthday at the Ruth Chris Steakhouse in Arlington, Virginia.

ProSol obtained its operating agreement as a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) in the state of Virginia in 2002. Following the dream of CEO Michael J. Dean, ProSol began the journey of finding clients to serve, as well as recruiting a talented workforce to serve them. ProSol's first client was secured in August 2002, and the company's first major client was obtained in January 2003.

Today, ProSol has become a large and successful company with over 300 employees, and the key to that successful growth is due to the commitment of its talented workforce.

During the birthday celebration, ProSol also announced its employee of the year, Steve Bowles. To learn more about Steve, read here. Employee of the year finalists - Steve Fisher, Rima Houmani, and Mark Haser - were also celebrated. "Congratulations to Steve [Bowles], Steve Fisher, Rima Houmani, and Mark Haser," said Michael J. Dean during the presentation. "You all set the standard. It is an honor to work with you."

The story also includes a video taken from the local newscast.

Visit ABC10 website

Lellou, a U.S. Central Command/Africa Command analyst at the USMC Center for 
Advanced Operational Culture Learning in Quantico, Virginia, has a scientific background and 18 years of experience applying operational culture in business and military sectors.

Read Hamid Lellou's story here

Steve Bowles, a training manager, was selected as Eagle Award winner for Q4 2010. Bowles works out of the FBI's Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force (FTTTF). During his time there, Bowles has received numerous accolades for providing outstanding customer service and for ensuring that all FTTTF training needs are met.

On January 3, 2011, Mr. Jack Boyle, Steve's supervisor, presented a letter of commendation to Steve for all of his outstanding accomplishments. Some of the commendation highlights include an increase in training attendance at FTTTF from 76% to 84%, with forecasts showing that attendance will continue to increase; a fully functional counter-terrorism library that Bowles put together; and a variety of new training events that Bowles implemented for FTTTF.

A further commendation Bowles received was from the program manager of Global Srategies Group, ProSol's partner in this contract: "The training department at FTTTF is probably the best in the entire FBI!"

ProSol would also like to recognize the finalists for the Q4 2010 Eagle Award: Sam Davis (DOL); Washington, DC; Khaliq Raufi (CAOCL); Camp Pendleton, CA; Jared Surdin (TSOC EPMD) Virginia; Jeff Galloway (MCES) North Carolina; and Angela Pitts (CAOCL) Quantico, VA.

Congratulations to Steve and the finalists for a job well done.

Photo caption - Steve Bowles (center) poses with, from left to right, Matt McKeon, ProSol's Mission Operations & Assurance Division director, and Michael J. Dean, ProSol CEO. 

Photo caption - Lauren Rachal (center) is flanked by Jessica Fiorelli and Jacquie Rachal during her walk.

The Patient Financial Aid Program provides cancer patients with much-needed financial assistance such as lessening the burdens of their medical bills.

PS Charities and the tournament's title sponsor, Professional Solutions, would like to extend a very special thank you to our sponsors, golfers, and volunteers that came out to help make the tournament such a success. All of us are focused on our mission of helping those in the fight against cancer, and we can’t do it without your support.

Special thanks go to Information Management & Technology Services Division for their continued dedication in providing fast, flexible, and high-quality services to the VA.

For the second year in a row, ProSol has been awarded the 2010 Inc. 500/5000 award, coming in at #507. This award is presented annually to companies that show the greatest revenue growth when compared with their peers across the country.

That ProSol ranks #507 in the nation is quite an achievement. Having won this award last year, the 2010 award is evidence that ProSol is maintaining steady high growth and has been resilient during today’s tough economy. Upon being notified of the award, ProSol CEO Michael J. Dean said, "We are very proud to be amongst the great companies who have won this award in the past, including Visa, Intuit, Oracle and Microsoft.”

After 201.50 miles, 13 hours, 46 minutes, and 13,735 calories burned, Matt McKeon completed the Total 200 bike race. PS Charities would like to take this opportunity to thank Matt for his monumental effort in completing the bike tour and raising money for PS Charities through this race.

The PS Charities team would also like to thank all ProSol employees who made a generous donation in support of Matt. Because of you, we were able to exceed our original goal of $2,500 and raise a whopping $6,140. All proceeds will go to the GWU Breast Care Center Patient Assistance fund in October when we host our Caribbean Casino Night and Silent Auction.

Once again, thank you Matt and everyone at ProSol who contributed to this cause. Because of you, we are able to make a difference in the lives of those fighting cancer.

“It was a great way to get out there and show our support in the fight against cancer,” said PS Charities employee Lauren Rachal. The event kicked off at 8:00 am at 7th Street and Madison Avenue. The 3.1 mile course continued through the streets of the Distict and included breathtaking views of the capital's monuments. Pink Warriors of all kinds came out to show their support as participants or cheerleaders. All were there for a single cause - to help find a cure for breast cancer.

The goal of Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is to raise $4.5 million for breast cancer education and services.

PS Charities and ProSol would like to thank all corporate sponsors who donated to this worthy cause, and to all of the volunteers who made the tournament a success.

“For the last four weeks, my team has been undergoing the Arabic course taught by Mussa and Sam. My overall thoughts on the course have been outstanding. In 2006, I underwent language training aboard Camp Pendleton and the course consisted of throwing phrases at you, learning some memorization, and basic sentence structure. It was difficult to say the least.

Mussa and Sam's approach was refreshing, intense, but instructional. The combination of writing, speaking, and role playing has made it very beneficial. Four members of my team have started writing most of their lessons in Arabic and almost all can read some Arabic and recognize words and read simple sentences. For hard learners such as myself, I have learned more Arabic and I am confident I can reach my target audience and at least say "Hello," extend common courtesies and understand some words when speaking slowly.

While the four weeks were not designed to make us fluent in Arabic, it will make us semi-functional. We will dedicate 20 to 30 minutes each day after Sam and Mussa's departure and practice with our more skilled speakers teaching and working our skills.

At noon today, we are cooking out and showing our appreciation to Mussa and Sam for a job well done.”

CEO Michael J. Dean stated, "We are humbled by our selection by the Department of Homeland Security to receive the 2010 DHS Small Business Achievement Award for ProSol’s work in support of the Department of Homeland Security. We are honored to be part of Transportation Security Administration’s team and its mission to protect the nation’s transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce."

The Secure Flight program serves to prevent individuals on the No Fly List from boarding aircraft, as well as to subject individuals on the Selectee List to enhanced screening to determine if they are permitted to board an aircraft. ProSol's Secure Flight staff are stationed at two sites in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Annapolis Junction, Maryland.  See photos below from this event.

Photo 1 - ProSol CEO Michael J. Dean (center) is flanked by Rick Gunderson, DHS acting chief procurement officer, and Domenico Cipicchio, TSA’s head of contracting activity, as he accepts the DHS Small Business Achievement Award.

Photo 2 - Site leads Lisa Ferrio and Dave Leski flank Mission Operations & Assurance Division director Matt McKeon as they pose with the DHS Small Business Achievement Award.

In pursuit of this goal, on April 10, ProSol supported our PS Charities arm in holding a "Pig Pickin" at Gilligan's Bar in Surf City, North Carolina. The event raised money in memory of Master Sergeant Troy Mitchell. The event was well attended by many friends of both Troy and ProSol. ProSol CEO Michael J. Dean said, "It was great to see old friends, hear and tell old stories about Troy, about the Corps, and be surrounded by like-minded people who understand sacrifice and loyalty."

As a result of PS Charities' efforts, $40,000 will go to Troy’s widow Kelly Mitchell and their seven sons to help preserve their land and home in Tennessee.

A good time was enjoyed by all for a worthy cause. "We are proud to have honored this American hero and his family. This event was a big reminder to me that we are all blessed when we all work together and care for the ones we have grown with and love," said CEO Dean.

The Special Operations Warrior Foundation provides full scholarship grants and educational and family counseling to the surviving children of special operations personnel who die in operational or training missions. The foundation also provides immediate financial assistance to severely wounded special operations personnel and their families.

Joe Sroka, tournament coordinator, announced that the tournament raised $6,000. "This was our first ever tournament for this cause, so we're pleased that we had a good turnout," he said.

ProSol and its charities arm, PS Charities, provide support to charitable organizations whose efforts help military families, as well as those who have been affected by cancer. In supporting these and other organizations, the company works toward a better community by enriching the quality of life of our fellow citizens.

The Future 50 program recognizes the 50 fastest-growing companies in the Greater Washington area based on employee and revenue growth. This year’s Future 50 winners collectively employ 29,000 people and generate over $9 billion in revenue.

Winners will be recognized at the WashingtonSmartCEO/Clifton Gunderson basketball-themed “Nothing but Net” Future 50 event, scheduled for Jan. 28, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City.

"On behalf of the partners and employees of Clifton Gunderson, I would like to congratulate this year's Future 50 winners. This exclusive group is the embodiment of success and represents the best of our business community. We are proud to be associated with SmartCEO and this very worthwhile program,” says Patrick M. Byer, Sr., Partner-in-Charge, Clifton Gunderson LLP.

Technology, government contracting, financial institutions, staffing and many other industries are represented on this year’s list. Among the Future 50 winners are companies who have won for the fifth year in a row, and some for the first time.

In addition to the Future 50 companies, SmartCEO also recognized Emerging Growth winning companies under $10 million in revenue and Blue Chip winning companies, with excess of $150 million, or more, in revenue.

“Each winner has effectively translated their passion and innovation into tremendous growth and success,” says Jaime Park, Publisher at SmartCEO magazine. “We, along with Clifton Gunderson, are honored to recognize the fastest-growing companies in Greater Washington.”

For a complete list of winners, see below or visit www.smartceo.com for a list of company names and Web sites. Nominations for Future 50 closed mid-October and are expected to open mid-August for 2011 nominations.

Washington SmartCEO magazine is a regional “growing company” publication aimed at providing resources each month to help educate, motivate and inspire Washington’s decision-makers. The publication’s readers range from younger, dynamic companies, to established multi-generational, family-owned firms.

Title sponsor, Clifton Gunderson LLP, ranked as one of the nation’s largest certified public accounting and consulting firms, provides a wide range of assurance, accounting, tax, and consulting services to clients in a variety of industries. Founded in 1960, Clifton Gunderson has a staff of more than 2,000 professionals serving clients from 45 offices across the country. The firm has been recognized as one of the country’s best places to work. 

Thanks to all of those who volunteered, provided auction items and supported this great event.

This includes Instructors who are expert in Close Quarter Battle (CQB), Weapons and Tactics (W&T), Special Reconnaissance (SR), Intelligence, ITC Course Managers and assistants as well as Fiscal and Warehouse support.  We will also provide medical support, which includes Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT-B) and Certified Medical Assistants (CMA).  

Proceeds will benefit the George Washington University Breast Care Center.

ProSol was also ranked No. 74 in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV and No. 75 in Government Services.

We would like to thank all of our employees, customers and friends who helped make ProSol such a successful organization.

Over 200 golfers participated in this year’s tournament utilizing both the Gunston and Woodlawn courses at Fort Belvoir. The weather was perfect and both courses were in excellent condition.

Corporate sponsorship played a key role in the tournament’s success. We would like to thank the following organizations for their generous support: IT Coalition, WSI, Deltek, ProSol Associates, Dunard Government Services, Four Points Technology, AM General, Certa Pro Painters, Pepper Hamilton LLP, SAVA, JSS, Wells Fargo, Sentel, Wells Fargo Business Credit, Bob and Bonnie Dean, Cathy DeLoach – Long and Foster, Select Auto, VSE Corporation, Trust Digital, Reese, Yeatman & Associates, Goodman and Company, Glock, Signs by Saenz, Qiviliq, Parrillo Associates, the Cunninghams and a host of other companies that donated raffle prizes.

ProSol would also like to thank all the volunteers who supported this event.

Planning for next year’s tournament is already underway.

This new contract is a single agency-wide contract to perform fire services, security services, emergency management, export control, protective services training and protective services information assurance and information technology security. This contract will assure standardization of procedures across the fourteen NASA locations, provide an integrated response to security threats as well as natural emergencies and provide for greater overall program efficiencies.

The initial total value for a possible 10-year period totals approximately $1.2 billion.

These awards are the only statewide tribute of this type in Virginia. To be eligible, a company must be privately held with headquarters in Virginia, show sales between $200,000 and $100 million, and demonstrate positive revenue growth and positive net income in its most recent fiscal year over the previous year. Companies are judged on a four-year sales revenue history. During this period, ProSol has grown 478% in annual revenue and has more than tripled the size of our workforce.

This award nicely complements our other recent awards, including being named on the Inc. 5000 list, Washington Technology’s Fast 50 and Smart CEO’s Future 50.

Winners of SmartCEO’s 4th Annual Future 50 will be recognized at a soccer themed black-tie dinner event on January 29, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda in Bethesda, MD. The keynote speaker for the event is Kevin Payne, President and Chief Executive Officer of DC United. The 50 Greater Washington companies who receive the award are also profiled in the January issue of SmartCEO Magazine.

“Each Future 50 winner has effectively translated their passion and innovation into tremendous growth and success,” said Jaime Park, Group Associate Publisher at SmartCEO Magazine. “We are honored to recognize ProSol as one of the 50 fastest growing companies in Greater Washington.”

Washington SmartCEO magazine is a regional “growing company” publication. SmartCEO believes that a “growing company” is really determined by the spirit, drive and dynamics of a company’s owners and managers, rather than by the size of its building, the number of its employees, or its sales volume. Each month, a variety of businesses in the greater Washington and greater Baltimore areas turn to the pages of SmartCEO for features, case-study advice and trend analysis, all with a uniquely local flavor. SmartCEO is read by more than 34,000 business owners in Baltimore and Washington.

“ProSol has overcome formidable challenges and obstacles on the path to success, and we are excited to once again have the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of all our Future 50 winners,” adds Tony Cord, Managing Director, Strategic Development at BDO Seidman LLP, title sponsor for the 2009 Future 50 Program. “Today’s fast growing Future 50 companies represent tomorrow’s leaders that will provide the foundation for the Greater Washington business community for years to come.”

ProSol was also ranked 47 in the Top 100 Government Services Companies and 54 in the Top 100 Businesses in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Overall, we are ranked 718 for The Fastest Growing Private Companies In America. Please click here to read more.

We would like to thank all of our employees, customers and friends who helped make ProSol such a successful organization.

ProSol would like to thank all the volunteers who supported this event, particularly Beth Moss and Lisa McKeon who chaired the successful event.

Corporate sponsorship also played a key role in the tournament’s success. We would like to thank the following organizations for their generous participation: IT Coalition, JSS, Portal Dynamics, Pepper Hamilton LLP, AM General, CSSI, A-T Solutions, Intelliware Systems, L3 Communications, Wells Fargo, Glock, Goodman & Company, Long and Foster, The Analysis Corporation, SAIC, ManTech, Reese, Yeatman & Associates, Guiffre’ Distributing Company, SA-TECH, Pluribus, Ameriprise, TKC Communications, Commerce Bank, Rackable Systems, Bob and Bonnie Dean, Island Athletic Club, DiamondMind Business Services and a host of other companies that provided raffle prizes.

Planning for next year’s Annual Charity Golf Tournament is already underway. We intend to hold the event in June 2009.

Professional Solutions is proud to support the 5^th Annual George Washington Cancer Institute Gala on May 3, 2008 at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC.  The Gala raises funds to bring high quality cancer resources and programs together in the community for the benefit of everyone in prevention, patient care, research, policy work and education.

In addition to the Toys for Tots drive, ProSol jointly supported SOME (So Others Might Eat). SOME is an interfaith, community-based organization that exists to help the poor and homeless of our nation's capital. It meets the immediate daily needs of the people it serves with food, clothing, and health care. It helps break the cycle of homelessness by offering services, such as affordable housing, job training, addiction treatment, and counseling, to the poor, the elderly and individuals with mental illness.  ProSol had three drop off locations to collect warm clothing and food donations and as a result donated two very large loads of warm clothes, nonperishable food donations as well as $225 in Giant gift cards to families in need in our local area over the holidays.  

Some quick facts on blood needs:

Facts about blood needs

1. Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.

2. More than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day.

3. One out of every 10 people admitted in a hospital needs blood.

4. Total blood transfusions in a given year: 14 million (2001).

5. The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints.

6. The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O.

7. The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event occurs.

8. Sickle cell disease affects more than 80,000 people in the U.S., 98% of whom are African American. Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives.

9. More than 1 million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.

10. A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood.

If you would like to coordinate a drop-off of either a toy, or a box for Toys for Tots at your location, please contact Lisa McKeon (lmckeon@prosol1.com). A decorated box will be supplied by ProSol and gifts collected as needed.

Thanks for helping make ProSol’s Toys for Tots program another success!

ProSol has teamed with 10 strategic partners on this effort: Allen Corporation, CoTs, Decision Engineering, Exeter, JB Management, MCR Federal, SAIC, Sapient, UNITECH and Vistronix.

ProSol would like to recognize the following individuals for their efforts in making this event the best we have had so far: Beth Moss (Chairperson), LuAnn Dean, , Shannon Gallagher, Dawn Rehrig, Joe Chillari, Jim Hicks, Ben Berman, Nick Biltz, Jacquie Rachal, Amanda Sramek, Ellen Minderman, Angelina Jones, Gary Goss, Anisa Cooks, Don Descy, Ron Clements, Bob and Bonnie Dean, Joe Jones, and John Viarella.

Corporate sponsorship also played a key role in the tournament’s success. We would like to thank the following organizations for their generous participation: Global Rescue, Batelle, Robbins-Gioia, American Cap Company, Covenant Special Projects, AT Solutions, EDO, IT Coalition, Pluribus International, SAIC, Glock, L-3Comm, Naval League of the U.S., Broadway Galleries, and TKC.

These products typically take the deliverable form of curriculum/course web sites, EES virtual conferences and virtual training platform web sites, and/or EES content management web sites, web sites which interact with a web data bases (Sequel Server or Open Source Databases such as PHP); or electronically authored CD-ROM or authored DVD products. The contract period of performance is a one year base with three one year option periods with a ceiling of $24M. 

BCO also interfaces with DAMO-CI supporting near term (POM cycle) Programs of Record through the Joint Capabilities Identification and Development System (JCIDS) process. ProSol is supporting Alion by providing engineer professionals with networks, systems architectures, information assurance, software design, testing, and integration, systems engineering and information technology expertise.

Having three years experience supporting the Homeland Security’s Operations Center (HSOC), ProSol strategically positioned itself to compete for the TSOC solicitation.  “The majority of the battle is finding the right people, and putting them in the right seat” claims ProSol’s CEO and retired Marine, Michael Dean. “Our quick and efficient recruiting process has allowed us to thrive in areas that support national security, so this contract aligns perfectly with our strategic vision and core competencies.”                     

Part of the company’s positioning included hiring a dedicated, qualified lead, Mr. Earnest Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell brings over 30 years of national security expertise and 20 years of operations center experience to TSOC, which most recently includes three years as a Watch Officer Team Lead at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) HSOC.  He also has experience supporting operations centers at the Department of Defenses (DoD), U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), Hawaii and Kirtland Air Force Base,New Mexico.   

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Alexandria, VA, ProSol is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOB). Our firm focuses on three main areas: IT Support Solutions, Training and Distance Learning, and Analytical Support. Our purpose is to support our government by providing national security solutions in the defense of our country; making a positive difference for our customers, our people and our communities.

VETS GWAC Features and Benefits

• No Task Order limit
• $5 billion program ceiling
• Customer pays no fee / Contractor pays IFF
• Five-year base period with a five-year option
• Ordering procedures based on Fair Opportunity (FAR 16.505)
• Federal agency assistance in meeting 3% SDVOSB goal
• On-going education for delegated VETS contracting officers
• Two functional scope areas
• FA 1 Systems Operations & Maintenance
• FA 2 Information Systems Engineering

VETS presents a new way for federal agencies to achieve small business goals through purchase of Information Technology solutions from small businesses owned by Service Disabled Veterans.

• Easy to use contract
• Short procurement lead time
• Very affordable Labor Rates
• Team Members can be added with ease

Initial efforts resulted in Bagram being designated as the high value target detention facility in Afghanistan. The Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have both cited the success story of efforts at Bagram. Our analytical efforts have resulted in increased command support to targeting efforts aimed at FISS and groups of personnel considered enemies of the US. The success of these efforts have been noticed and commended by several senior officials at USCENTCOM and three letter organizations in the beltway. In concert with USCENTCOM, J2X personnel developed software that allows the integration of HUMINT field reporting, which allows access to data that supports interrogation and analytical efforts both forward and at sanctuary locations. This system has become the backbone for all HUMINT reporting in USCENTCOM.

ProSol and LM employees are integrated into joint staff positions at the Joint Headquarters of the Multi-National Forces - Iraq (MNF-I), Combined Forces Command - Afghanistan (CFC-A), CCJ2X Forward-Camp Doha, Qatar, and C2X-CJTF Horn of Africa. On a daily basis at USCENTCOM and forward deployed locations. In addition we coordinate and communicate with representatives of DoD, JCS, military services, law enforcement agencies, and other Combatant Commands.

After the 84 players had completed the Captain’s Choice format tournament, a luncheon and awards ceremony followed at which time ProSol President and CEO, Michael J. Dean, presented the Red Cross Director of Financial Development, Sherry Delaney, with an $11,000 donation in support of the Alexandria Red Cross Hero’s Campaign.

Undoubtedly, the support of our friends, partners and sponsors made this year’s tournament a success. We would like to thank all those who dedicated time and energy into this event.

This charity event began in 2005. Wanting to give something back to the community, ProSol decided hosting a golf tournament would be the best means to make a valuable contribution. With an initial donation of $7,000 to the Alexandria Red Cross, the first year of our tournament was a success. The intent is to have our tournament grow in participation and donations each year. We would particularly like to thank our sponsors for this year’s tournament.

Heroes for the Alexandria Red Cross is a community campaign designed to recruit individuals and groups to pledge to raise at least $1,000 for the Alexandria chapter. Individuals and groups are encouraged to involve employers, churches, civic clubs, schools, or other groups to support the fundraising effort. Examples of fundraisers include an employee dress down day, a raffle, a car wash, a donation collection, a charity golf tournament, a rummage sale, etc.

Sponsors of the event included: Houston Associates, SRA International, Titan Corporation, SAIC, TKC Communications, Battelle, Mercedes-Benz of Alexandria, The Odyssey Cruises, TKC Technology Solutions, Reese & Yeatman, INTELITECH, Gilligan’s, Alliance Packaging and Container, Synergist Technology Group, Alexandria Cleaners, All American Printing, The Cigar Palace, East Potomac Golf Course, Great American Restaurants, Rick’s Wine and Gourmet, Sierra Cybernetics, Stella’s Restaurant, Top Golf and Washington Golf Center.

Professional Solutions is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOB) located in Alexandria, VA. The firm is built around its ability to provide a variety of professional services including, distance learning and training, requirements analysis, systems analysis, program management and infrastructure design, as well as software development support and general administrative staffing assistance.

The four main tasks performed under this contract include Database Administration, Software Development Support, Database Information Assurance, Backup and Security Support and Database Applications Security Management Support. A top secret clearance is required for this contract. President and CEO of ProSol, Michael J. Dean is eager to fully utilize the new SDVOSB set aside provisions. “As this type of set-aside increase in popularity, we need to market our status and help to educate contract specialist on how to reach us. We need to get our name and our capabilities out there.” The Va.-based firm specializes in IT solutions and programmatic support, particularly in the cleared environment.

Professional Solutions, a subcontractor to SAIC on this important effort, will be part of the team dedicated to conduct the research, development, production, integration, testing and delivery of distance learning-based education and training content for U.S. armed forces around the world. This program will promote joint training initiatives and is a key component of the Joint National Training Capability.

GITSS provides Federal customers access to the resources of the best IT and telecommunication firms in the world. The 149 priced labor categories available through GITSS cover the full spectrum of IT and telecom services needed to support any Federal customer's mission.

The Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force is a government agency developed to help identify and track foreigners who are residing in the United States illegally. The participants in the FBI Counterterrorism Task Force include the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security's Bureaus of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Customs and Border Protection, the State Department, the Social Security Administration, the Office of Personnel Management, the Department of Energy and the Central Intelligence Agency. To date, liaisons have been established with Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. The mission of the FBI Counterterrorism Task Force is to provide information that helps keep foreign terrorists and their supporters out of the U.S. or leads to their removal, detention, prosecution or other legal action. To accomplish this mission, the FBI Counterterrorism Task Force has facilitated and coordinated information sharing agreements among these participating agencies and other public and proprietary companies to assist in locating terrorists and their supporters who are, or have been, in the U.S. Professional Solutions is supporting FBI Counterterrorism Task Force by providing the following positions:
- Data librarian
- Deployment specialist
- Data requirements analyst

The Terrorist Screening Center, located in Crystal City, was established in December 2003. It is a multi-agency center, anchored by the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and State and the Intelligence Community, and administered by the FBI. The main goal of the TSC is to consolidate terrorist watch lists and provide 24/7 operational support for thousands of federal screeners world-wide. The Center will ensure that government investigators, screeners and agents are working off the same unified, comprehensive set of anti-terrorist information — and that they have access to information and expertise that will allow them to act quickly when a suspected terrorist is screened or stopped. Professional Solutions supports the TSC by providing IT solutions as well as administrative support. Our support includes:
- Project management
- Process improvement
- Enterprise architecture
- Configuration/change control management
- Data modeling and migration
- Enterprise IT strategy and implementation planning
- Information management
- Records management
- Object oriented analysis & design
- Software development

Professional Solutions hopes the MOBIS schedule will allow it to expand its current customer base. The IT 70 schedule has already opened the door to several subcontracts for PS and it is hoped that the MOBIS contract will do the same for the service disabled, veteran owned small business. This is another step in the right direction for PS.

Professional Solutions currently supports various DoD agencies such as the Marine Corps Combat Development Center (MCCDC), Marine Corps System Command (MARCORSYSCOM) and the Terrorist Screening Center. PS has also formed partnerships with other government contractors, namely General Dynamics, EDO Corporation, TKC and SAIC.

PS hopes to expand its support under the CEOss contract during what is known as "Open Season" when Prime vendors are permitted to realign their team in order to provide better strategic support across the four domains.

PS started off last winter with 2 full time employees, and has grown to over 10 employees, as well as several additional part-time workers. The corporation is founded on the CEO's unique methodology of business. "I base my relationships on trust," Mr. Dean states. "I want every customer to give me a task and feel confident that the results will meet or exceed their expectations. In return, I only hire people I have a strong relationship with and who are hungry and eager to work. This leads to a win-win situation for all involved."

This philosophy appears to be working very well for the company. PS has revenues of almost $1 million in just its second year in business. By obtaining its first GSA schedule, PS hopes to catch the eye of any potential client looking to fulfill their IT needs.

Other PS Marine Corps customers include the Marine Corps Combat Development Center (MCCDC), and Marine Corps System Command (MARCORSYSCOM). Other clients include the Naval Special Warfare Command, the United States Treasury and the United States Department of Agriculture as well as a few commercial clients.

Professional Solutions is also strategically teamed with other government contractors, namely, AT&T, who just won a $4 million contract for the Marine for Life program, EDO corporation, a Department of Defense manufacturer and provider of professional services and BE Meyers, a manufacturer of optics and lasers.