A note from 8-koi headquarters :: summer 2023
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During these summer months, I want to take a moment to reflect on our achievements and reflect on the remarkable journey that’s brought us to celebrating 8-koi’s 15th anniversary.
8-koi was founded on August 8, 2008. Thinking of this Lunar Year - the Year of the Rabbit - symbolizing kindness, loyalty, understanding, generosity, thoughtfulness and honesty, I’m reminded that these virtues are the very core values on which 8-koi was founded: passion, excellence, dependability and thoughtfulness.
I celebrate you and our team, the pillars and foundation of 8-koi. It is through your efforts that we continue to be a trusted industry leader in our community. I am truly proud of our diverse team and what we've accomplished and overcame through the years, especially those of recent events like moving headquarters and fulfilling lease agreements, securing patent protection for the OttoBollardTM, opening the Lunabotics Competition Arena for NASA, winning multiple awards like Gator100 and HireVETS, sponsoring SAME and Women In Defense, attending multiple industry events like I/ITSEC, expanding our construction fleet, and opening field offices in Jacksonville, FL and El Paso, TX. Not to forget responding to a worldwide pandemic with flexible work options and growing our Healthcare Division to meet increased demand. WOW! Together, we can do really hard things.
I extend my gratitude to each and every one of you for your hard work and dedication to our shared values. Together, we have achieved remarkable milestones. We have successfully completed several high-profile projects and consistently delivered outstanding results that have earned praise from our clients and industry peers. Our teams’ ability to navigate complex challenges and find innovative solutions is a testament to our collective expertise and collaborative spirit. I have learned so much from all of you and I remain committed to rise along with you to meet our shared expectations for success.
As we move forward, our strategic path remains focused on providing full spectrum contracting solutions through our four unique attributes of design, build, staff, and supply to both new and repeat customers.
The summer season brings new challenges and exciting prospects, and I am confident that as a team, we will continue to thrive and exceed expectations. Thank you all for your continued support.
I wish you a fantastic summer filled with joy, relaxation, and renewed energy.
I see the passion, excellence, dependability and thoughtfulness in each and every one of you, and I am truly grateful.
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Inga I. Young
Founder and President
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8-koi Earns ISO 9001:2015 Certification for
Medical Management Services
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Last summer, 8-koi’s Healthcare Division expanded their presence with eight new employees at Walter Reed with a competitively bid and won Defense Health Agency (DHA) Emergency Dispatch Services contract. Since winning a contract to provide counseling and case management support to refugees in 2020, 8-koi has onboarded and managed hundreds of direct care personnel. Under contract with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) since 2018, 8-koi’s Quality Assurance Specialist has supported over 400 clinics across the US and overseas to train and retrain clinic staff in proper procedure of Fitness Test administration. Learn more here.
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PROGRESS WITH OUR 4 Ps:
People, Programs, Processes and Pipeline
Our 8-koi team continues to gain traction going into the second quarter by executing excellent “Human Touch” operations. Here are some of our highlights:
PEOPLE:
This quarter I had the opportunity to meet two new employees: Sophia Tassy-Helou, senior contract manager, supporting the USMC PM TRASYS contract and Chris Ward, operations standardization/systems analyst, supporting the LTRS LISC contract. Additionally, we spent time in the HQ preparing for the ISO audit (more to say about that in the Process segment below).
PROGRAMS:
Construction
- 8-koi was awarded the Construction and Renovation Services for the city of Kissimmee
- 8-koi was awarded Building 101 roof and incidental contract in support of NAS Jacksonville Public Works
- 8-koi was awarded B101 Sawtooth Window Project in support of NAS Jacksonville Public Works
Design Engineering
Some projects include:
- Chiller 2 Replacement in support of Palm Beach State College
- Palm Beach Veteran’s Administration Water Monitoring and Biocide in support of Gator Engineering & Aquifer Restoration (G.E.A.R)
- 22-1031 Renovate B991 in support of the Rhodes + Brito
- Modify HB-2 Elevator 1 in support of the WB Construction
- Guardrail Banana River Bridge in support of Amentum
- Merritt Island Crossing in support of Song and Associates
- Corrosion Rust Control Doors and Siding in support of Amentum
Healthcare
8-koi’s healthcare division is busy supporting the DHA Emergency Dispatch Services Contract. 8-koi operates this contract 365/24/7 at Walter Reed and is supporting multiple proposal efforts.
Technical Administration
8-koi is a subcontractor for the winning ORR Sponsored Services contract and is supporting multiple proposal efforts with the Healthcare and Design Engineering Divisions.
PROCESS: Our traction efforts continue as we receive quarterly EOS Training. We completed our ISO 9001:2015 Phase 1 and 2 audits and are now ISO certified. Our limited scope ISO certification is for our Healthcare Division and the supporting elements of HR, recruiting and credentialing. The ISO prep team has been expertly led by John Weiler and supported by Regina “Rocket” Weiler, Krista Dupell, Lisa McCarty, May Rilo and Sami Mized. Congratulations to all for achieving this monumental milestone!
PIPELINE: We won a total of 10 contracts and we’ve identified 62 new business development opportunities that we are evaluating for pursuit this quarter.
As a team we continue to build on our strengths and work through the challenges and unknowns that arise. We have the momentum we need and a strong team with the right tools to make our shared goals a reality.
As always, your questions, suggestions and thoughtful emails are welcome.
Onward,
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8-koi opened its doors to its four-legged friends on June 23, 2023.
Pictured here, Anthony Pereira and Inga Young with Astro and Bessy.
"We love all dogs as dog lovers, mixed breeds and pure breeds," said Best in Show Judge and Dog News Columnist, Pat Craig-Trotter, at the 2021 Westminster Kennel Club. "Now, every pet may not be a show dog, but be assured, every show dog is a pet."
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MEET THE TEAM :: Krista Dupell, RN, BSN, MBA
Healthcare Program Manager
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Originally from Tacoma, Washington, Krista moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 1994 after high school and lived there for 10 years and attended the University of Wyoming in Laramie where she received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. She’s a rare find with a unique education and likely the only graduate you’ll meet from that institution considering Wyoming’s state population hovers around 500,000. In 2005, Krista moved to Florida where she plans to stay.
For the past 23 years, Krista has worked as a nurse in a variety of departments and served in various roles at patients’ bedsides, including a daytime lead medical review nurse working for an occupational health company. The department provided medical determinations for contractors deploying overseas to austere environments in support of Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of State (DoS) contracts to over 15 locations. She was later promoted to the program manager of the department and grew it from four contracts to 11 contracts and expanded lines of business with existing clients.
Discovering a new interest and developing skills in the business side of healthcare fueled her desire to return to school in pursuit of her MBA in Healthcare Management. She attended Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Florida, and graduated in December 2022. After graduation, Krista reached out directly to Inga at 8-koi via LinkedIn. She followed 8-koi for some time and knew some current employees from previous experiences. Inga and senior leadership met with Krista in person, and she was offered a position as the Healthcare Program Manager to help grow the Healthcare Division.
“I love working here because of the amazing culture. Every employee has a voice and is empowered to be involved in company growth,” Krista said.
Life in the Dupell house is full. Krista is married to “the best man I’ve ever known,” her husband, AJ. He’s a lieutenant with the Orlando Fire Department and is finishing his degree in organizational management with a focus on public safety. They have four children, three sons and one daughter. The oldest son serves in the Air Force and has made her a grandmother three times. Their second son is planning on joining the Coast Guard. Their third son is a dual-enrolled high school senior who will graduate next year with his high school diploma and AA degree from Eastern Florida State College. Their daughter, the youngest entering fourth grade, is an outstanding softball player and recent recipient of a scholarship that provided her an investment fund to grow and save for her future schooling. Krista helps coach her daughter’s softball team and last season was undefeated. Additionally, they have two fur babies; a cat named Cleo and a dog named Tyson.
Krista enjoys reading, gardening, boating, kayaking, fishing and travel.
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Would you like to be featured in WAVES?
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Engineers Welcome Here!
We're accepting resumes.
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Welcome to the team:
Krista Dupell, Healthcare Program Manager
Jennifer Brown, Project Coordinator
Craig Marshall, Electrical Engineer IV
Chris Ward, Operations Standardization System Analyst
Sophia Tassy-Helou, Senior Contract Specialist
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July
12 – Stephan Nichols
14 – Maricza Torres
15 – Christopher Ward
22 – Alan Wright
25 – Suann Willoughby
25 – Stacey Haughton
26 – Imani Mitchell
27 – Robin O’Connor
29 – Gerald Rainer
29 – Dana Jackson
31 – Li Li
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August
12 – Patricia Williams
21 – Gabriel Herrera
September
4 – Nanette Woltz
24 – Robert Sullivan
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Happy Work Anniversary
July
22 years – Li Li, Mechanical Engineer IV
4 years – Deborah Dash, Administrative and Acquisition
August
15 years – Inga Young, President
2 years – Maricza Torres, Construction Project Coordinator
1 year – Thomas Bliss II, HRIS Specialist
September
9 years – Joseph Ogershok, Senior Medical Trainer
2 years – Gerald Rainer, Cybersecurity Engineer Princ.
1 year – Cyria Knight, Medical Emergency Dispatcher
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In the Community
May Rilo and Lisa McCarty represented 8-koi at the Back to Work 50+ Job Fair hosted by Brevard Career Source on May 24, 2023, at the Tony Rosa Community Center in Palm Bay.
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A total of $16,000 was awarded to 21 Brevard County students by the Women in Defense Space Coast Chapter at its STEM Scholarship Awards Ceremony on June 15th, at the Courtyard by Marriott in Cocoa Beach. Since 2013, WIDSC has awarded over $90,000 in scholarships to women in Brevard County who have an interest in careers supporting all aspects of national security and defense. Learn more here.
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Congratulations, Inga! She's been selected to participate in the SBA T.H.R.I.V.E. program. T.H.R.I.V.E. stands for Train. Hope. Rise. Innovate. Venture. Elevate - an executive-level training series designed to accelerate the growth of high potential small businesses across the US. Inga was able to meet her peers in June at the South Florida District Office in Miami. Learn more about the program here.
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From the Desk of Facility Security Officer Matthew Rebholz:
Insider Risk Newsletter, volume 18, shares a modern day story involving commercial fraud with the use of artificial intelligence to commit commercial fraud.
When a 60 Minutes staffer got a call that appeared to be from correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, she picked up. A voice on the other end, generated by artificial intelligence to mimic Alfonsi's voice, asked for some help. Clips from television had been used to clone Alfonsi's voice. "Elizabeth, sorry, I need my passport number because the Ukraine trip is on," the fake Alfonsi said. "Can you read that out to me?"
Read the full story here.
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8-koi Veterans Employee Resource Group
We are proud to have military veterans on our team at 8-koi and Cape Design Engineering. Their training and experience help our company to uphold our core values of excellence and dependability. Veterans Employee Resource Group (VERGe) helps to "codify a framework attracting, hiring, retaining, nurturing and developing veterans within our organization."
Learn more about available resources at 8-koi.com.
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EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
8-koi and, its wholly owned subsidiary, Cape Design Engineering (CDE) are Equal Opportunity Employers. 8-koi and CDE do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Our commitment to equal opportunity employment applies to all persons involved in our operations and prohibits unlawful discrimination by any employee, including supervisors and co-workers.
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Keystone Benefit Group
8-koi's Employee Benefit Consulting Firm
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DO YOU LOVE 8-koi?
Our Google profile lets people know what we have to offer, and you all know best. Please take a minute to give us some stars and leave a short comment.
If there is something we can be doing better, please do not hesitate to reach out to our leadership team first.
THANK YOU for the LOVE!
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PASSION | EXCELLENCE | DEPENDABILITY | THOUGHTFULNESS |
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8-koi kurrents?
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8-koi, Inc. has complied with the passage of an interim rule to bridge the gap toward full transition to the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program. The Department of Defense is requiring all contractors with the clause at Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 252.204-7012 in their contracts to conduct a self-assessment of NIST SP 800-171 standards and enter their results into the Supplier Performance Risk System by November 30, 2020. Contractors who have not entered their results by that deadline will not be eligible for an award on a contract containing DFARS 252.204-7012.
Click here for more information.
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