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TPGS Insider

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TPGS Insider

CONTENTSA Letter from TPGS

USGIF GEOINT Symposium 2016

Events Calendar

Security Clearances in the Government Sector Spotlight

Calendar Contest Anniversaries

Hot Jobs

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Esteemed TPGS team members,

As I write this, it’s hard to believe we are halfway through 2016 already. It seems like just the other day TPGS was a new startup with a lot to prove, and a ton of heart and hustle. We’ve certainly come a long way over the last four years, and although we’ve grown, there’s only more heart and hustle.

This year, quarter two offered continued growth for TPGS. We’ve added quite a few new team members and are continuing to enter new markets. We’ve successfully been a part of a handful of new contract awards already this year and have countless proposals in government review awaiting award. We are certainly primed for another year of unprecedented growth. While I’m excited and proud of where we are to date, I’m even more excited to see the possibilities in front of us!

As this team continues to grow, it’s my personal commitment to strive for the career development and professional growth of everyone within TPGS. We have been success-ful at transitioning employees from one program to the next, one position to the next, etc. I must also emphasize the importance of keeping in close contact with your TPGS Resource Manager and Program Manager. If we do not know about your career goals, we cannot help you achieve them! Before you even think of opportunities outside the organization, please engage with us first – we’ve been very successful at transitioning our TPGS team, and would love to help you continue to move up. Seriously – don’t be afraid to reach out!

I wish everyone a fun and fulfilling summer! Work hard, but don’t forget to make time for yourself, your friends and your families. In our industry, it’s easy to get so busy that we forget to appreciate the beauty that is all around us.

If anyone ever needs anything, please feel free to reach out to me personally – anytime.

Sincerely,Ross O’RourkeDivision DirectorTPGSDirect Line: 703.650.9613Mobile: 513.374.2993Fax: 703.860.0002rorourke@tpgsfed.com www.tpgsfed.com

A LETTER FROM TPGS

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SECURITY CLEARANCES IN THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR: WHAT’S TAKING SO LONG?

Background clearances have been making the news in the past few months as gov-ernment security clearance processing times continue to rise. Through today, the Defense Security Service (DSS) and the

Office of Personnel Management (OPM) continue to report serious delays in the processing of initial secu-rity investigations and reinvestigations. In late June 2015, the OPM reported a data breach that comprised the data of 21.5 million Americans and led to the shutdown of their online government back-

ground investigation system for weeks to address and patch vulnerabilities. The same is true for the DSS, who completely stopped processing cases that were not seen as critical in the month of December due to a budget issue. This resulted in a backlog of over 10,000 cases. While case processing resumed in January 2016, it is taking a significant amount of time for DSS to work their way through the resulting backlog. Fast forward to mid 2016 and the backlogs are still affect-ing operations today, as OPM reports reinvestigations taking an average of 251 days.

With estimates of case backlogs running up to six months behind, government contractors are still be-ing affected by these backlogs as security clearance delays impede their ability to initiate or renew clear-ances, staff high level projects and ultimately meet project deadlines. Efforts have been made by the OPM to expedite processes. In early January, OPM established a new agency for background checks to absorb the Federal

As Americans, we’re proud to call the U.S. our home. We live in a world of great beauty and opportunity and are able to embrace cultures from all over the world. That’s why we’re inviting you to share photos of amazing, beautiful, or unique encounters you have experienced in your daily commute or your worldly travels!

THE CONTEST:We invite all of our valued TPGS Employees to join us and submit their best photo interpretation of “The World is a Melting Pot.” All submissions will be reviewed for a chance to be featured on the cover of our 2017 calendar, as well as in each of the monthly spreads. Did we mention there are cash prizes too? Enter for your chance to win.Calendar Theme: The Melting PotLiving in the U.S., we get a little taste of everything in our daily lives, I mean we are a melting pot right? Cultures differ in many ways from the food to the fashion, whether here in the U.S. or abroad. We invite you to share photos of amazing, beautiful, or unique encounters you have experienced in your daily commute or your worldly travels!Submission Deadline: July 31st, 2016Submission Address: marketing@tpgsfed.comGrand Prize: Cover feature, a $400 Visa Gift CardRunner-Up (11): Monthly feature and a $100 Visa Gift Card

TPGSIMPACT AWARDSIMPACT AWARD RECIPIENTS Q1 2016

MARCH 2016Alicia J.Brenda R.M.Heather F. Nina W.Freddie S.Dawn Z.

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CALENDAR CONTEST

Investigative Services (FIS) and discussed additional plans of hiring 400 new background check investiga-tors to areas of high demand. While both the OPM and DSS remain optimistic and have been able to increase their processes to about 1,000 per day, the backlog remains a concern for contractors in the government sector.

Sources: GovTech, Congress.gov, Federal News Radio

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USGIF’s GEOINT Sym-posium is the pre-eminent event of the year for the defense, intelligence and

homeland security communities and the nation’s largest gathering of industry, academia, and govern-ment. This past May, thousands made their way to Orlando for GEOINT 2016, where there were more than 260 exhibiting organizations, 60 hours of training sessions with accredited CEUs, and an exciting agenda of keynote speakers, panel discussions, and breakout ses-sions. The event provides attend-ees a unique opportunity to learn

from leading experts, share best practices, and uncover the latest developments from government, military and private-sector leaders. Robert Cardillo, NGA Director, kicked off the event and delivered a thoughtful keynote speech ad-dressing the NGA’s Strategy and fo-cus- People, Partners, Profession, and Value. With a positive outlook, Cardillo engaged and encouraged the audi-ence to move to the Cloud by the end of the year 2017. He challenged listeners to reject outdated ideas regarding the value of open source data, and gamify technologies and

“GEOINT IS ON THE RISE, MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER TO OUR CUSTOMERS TODAY AND POISED FOR A TOMORROW THAT’S FILLED WITH POSSIBILITY.”

- ROBERT CARDILLO, D/NGA

USGIF GEOINT SYMPOSIUM 2016:

THE GEOINT REVOLUTION

...continued on the next page

IN THE NEWSClick on the link to view the full article.

• The latest in the EDIT Act includes a “track changes” style system

• DOD has plans to eliminate common access cards

• Massive revenue forecasts for Big Data services

• IRS turns hacked applications back on with added security

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solutions that encourage teamwork in ways that add value to the industry and create constructive competition. In addition, Cardillo stressed the importance of enhancing customer rela-tionships, and embracing new technologies. By way of an action plan built on engaging partners in Silicon Valley to “leverage the organic capabilities and energy of the Valley’s open, vibrant, geospatial community,” Cardillo continued to set an example by affirming his dedication to delivering new technologies and advancing the industry. Cardillo indicated that plans focused on profession had been set in motion for the past few months and that they would rededicate themselves to, “excellence in our craft – to include the standards that will create a community. Our GEOINT Professional Certification Program is now mandated at NGA and for the Services. Even the Director has to be certified.”Filled with innovative ideas, Cardillo’s speech highlighted the value NGA initiatives for 2016/2017:

• Agreement between NGA and USGIF in order to provide respective professionals with functional and equivalent certifications

• Object Based Production (OBP) environment transition where important information can be obtained from the frame of an image

• The automation of manually intensive workflows through the Structured Observation Management (SOM) framework in an effort to detect patterns and behaviors

• Partnership with GSA to improve the Commercial Initiative to Buy Operationally Responsive GEOINT for easier pur-chasing of data and services

• Investments in In-Q-Tel to improve effectiveness in the commercial space and make the necessary enhancements to cybersecurity

TPGS IN THE COMMUNITYWREATHS ACROSS AMERICA

Batter up! TPGS employees wore their favorite team jerseys, settled in with some snacks and gathered together for fun while watching the baseball game at Nationals Park.

REFERRAL PROGRAMThe Talent Referral Program for Cleared Professionals is designed to help us maximize our ability to source top cleared talent across the government sector, while offering monetary incentives for the general public to participate. Click here to refer a friend.

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Director Cardillo’s words resonated closely with the TPGS family when he began to address People. He spoke about the struggle with the clearance process that many of us know all too well, the launch of the OD2

professional development initiative, and spotlighted multiple Government employees and one contractor. TPGS’ very own, Brian C., is a key member of the NGA College, Learning Technologies Branch. Brian and his team have been shepherding the transformation of the College through a laser focus on the mission and attention to detail instrumental to the successful launch of On Domain, On Demand (OD2). He went on to spotlight the personal stories of several teammates including a 3-D Animator, an Interactive Developer, an Application Developer, the Deputy Di-rector of IARPA, and an Editor. But not just ANY Editor, this Editor, Amelia C., is a member of the TPGS family!

While this speech only grazes the surface of the contributions that TPGS team members are making, we recognize the dedication and impact that each and every member of the TPGS family is making to their team(s), Agency, and customer mission(s). These efforts help to keep our great nation safer and more secure and we appreciate your contributions! Source: NGA

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EVENT CALENDAR

UPCOMING EVENTSDate Time Event Location

07/11 – 07/16 8:00 a.m. SANS Rocky Mountain 2016 Denver, CO

07/13 – 07/17 9:00 a.m. 16th Industrial Conference on Data Mining ICDM 2016

New York, NY

07/16 – 07/21 9:00 a.m. 12th International Conference on Machine Learning and Data Mining MLDM 2016

New York, NY

08/01 – 08/03 7:50 a.m. 2016 Dodiis Worldwide Atlanta, GA

08/02 – 08/04 12:00 p.m. Fraud & Breach Prevention Summit New York, NY

08/01 – 08/10 9:00 a.m. SANS Security Awareness Summit 2016 San Francisco, CA

08/09 – 08/10 TBD 3rd Annual Cyber Security for National Defense Symposium

Alexandria, VA

08/18 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

IT Governance and Cognitive Computing

TBD: South Florida

08/31 – 09/01 TBD North Carolina Digital Government Summit

Raleigh, NC

09/01 8:15 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Washington D.C. Tech Security Conference 2016

Washington D.C

09/07 – 09/08 7:00 a.m. Intelligence and National Security Summit

Washington D.C.

09/21 8:00 a.m. New York Cyber Security Summit New York, NY

09/27 – 09/28 8:00 a.m. SecureWorld Dallas Dallas, Tx

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UPCOMING FORUMS/WEBINARSDate Time Event Location

7/13 11:00 a.m. Keeping the Peace on Social Media: How the Lima, OH Police Department uses social media archiving to solve crimes and enforce their social media policy

Online

07/26 11:00 a.m. Communication & Compliance: Engaging with Social Media in Framingham, MA

Online/Framingham, MA

08/24 – 08/25

07:00 a.m. 6th Annual Cyber Security Training & Technology Forum (CSTTF)

Colorado Springs, CO

09/13 TBD Aerospace & Defense | Strategy and Competitive Intelligence Forum

Washington D.C.

SPOTLIGHT:ERIN J.SECURITY & OPERATIONS MANAGER When did you start work-ing at TPGS? September 3, 2013

What territory do you manage? Currently, I manage all aspects of TPGS’s Operations Department including human resources, payroll, contracts, invoicing, accounts receivable, security and benefits administration.Brief summary of skills and/or specialties:My background is in Intelligence & Security, but I have working knowledge of all different aspects of government contracting. This has allowed me to make a contribution in numerous ways.What is an interesting/fun fact we would be surprised to learn about you? I play the ukulele and am extremely passionate about music, spe-cifically indie/folk music.

What is your best work memory? I have so many, it’s hard to choose. I’d have to say our holiday dinner in 2013 at Ford’s Fish Shack. We were an extremely small team at the time, but you could really feel that we all believed in the dream of growing TPGS into something really special. And here we are, less than 3 years later and we’ve more than doubled in size. Our dreams became a reality!What makes TPGS different from any company you’ve ever worked for? We’re truly one big family. Whether our employees are 5 minutes away or in a completely different country, we truly value each and every one of them and enjoy getting to know them personally and professionally. I wholeheart-edly believe we have the best team in the industry.What core value do you relate to most, and why? Be the Best – I am constantly looking to do more and learn more in an effort to be the very best that I can possibly be.

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AMELIA C.EDITOR When did you start work-ing at TPGS? March 28, 2016What territory do you

manage? I provide support within the NGA’s ASC.Brief summary of skills and/or specialties: I am a compulsive menu editor, yenta, and idea fairy. And no, that’s not how it’s written on my resume because I have an MFA in Poetry from American University, a BA in English from Mills College, and a mountain of student loans to prove it.What is an interesting/fun fact we would be surprised to learn about you? I’m actually an introvert. No, really. I learned how to talk to people by working at the Renaissance Festival (I was in the commedia dell’arte troupe and I was awful.) You take a breath, look them in the eye, and remember that they are human too. What is your best work memory? There are too many to name, but I think they can all be summed up with a quote from Colonel John Hannibal Smith: “I love it when a plan comes together.”What makes TPGS different from any compa-ny you’ve ever worked for? I believe that TPGS is invested in me and my career. I believe that

they see me as more than a lanyard, an entry on a spreadsheet, or another annoying email. That human connection makes all the difference and makes me more willing to do what’s needed--for the client and for the TPGS team.What core value (Be the Best, Understand the Urgency, Never Give Up, Have the Courage to Excel or Make A Contribution) do you relate to most, and why? Without a doubt, it’s “Make a Contribution.” I keep many quotes at my desk, but there are two that explain how I got from Berkeley to the wild world of government contracting. The first is by Theodore Roosevelt, who said, “Far and away, the greatest prize that life offers is to work hard at work worth doing.” I believe that the work I do has meaning. If I didn’t believe that, I’d do some-thing else. The second quote is by someone I admire beyond words, Sue Gordon (NGA Deputy Director): “It’s a big, old, goofy world and it’s a mess. If I don’t give my best to that, I don’t know how I’d live with my-self.” The reason I can sleep at night is that I know I am using my powers (such as they are) for good. That’s better than ice cream.

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APRIL MAY JUNE

4/01: Keith S. (1 year)4/02: Dorian M. (1 year)

4/06: Bethany H. (1 year)4/06: Anthony M. (1 year)

4/07: Alicia J. (1 year)4/15: Lynette R. (1 year)4/16: Michael C. (1 year)4/20: Dudley E. (1 year)

4/22: Heather F. (2 years)4/22: Chris J. (2 years)

5/06: John N. (1 year)5/11: Jason M. (1 year)

5/26 : David G. (1 year)5/27: Tony S. (1 year)5/27: Fred T. (1 year)

5/29: Stephanie W. (4 years)

6/02 : Monica M. (2 years)6/11: Dawn Z. (3 years)6/15: Jackie A. (1 year)

6/15: Anthony B. (1 year)6/15: Bob F. (1 year)6/16: Pat M. (1 year)

6/25: Colin D. (2 years)6/25 : Alan W. (2 years)6/29: Laura H. (1 year)

6/30: Tim M. (1 year)

TPGS would like to congratulate the following team members on their work anniver-saries. We love having you with us and thank you for your commitment to TPGS.

ANNI

VERS

ARIE

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