Blog
At Duty First Consulting, we are proud to support the Veteran community through corporate philanthropy and community service initiatives. The DFC GIVE Program, which stands for Get Involved for Veterans, was created in November 2011 in an effort to give back to Veterans and make a difference in the lives of those who have defended our country. The GIVE Program also supports initiatives that support active Servicemembers and military personnel. Moreover, the program is a great way to build camaraderie and promote team building in the workplace. It also offers employees the opportunity to connect with individuals who are greatly impacted by the work we do on a daily basis.
DFC participates in quarterly events throughout the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area and our community involvement activities range from fundraising to wreath laying. In our most recent GIVE event, we partnered with Operation Shoebox to organize a collection drive during the holiday season where we collected food, snacks, personalized letters, and other frequently requested items to be included in the troop’s care packages. Our collection drive brought more items than requested which allowed Operation Shoebox to mail care packages to more troops stationed overseas.
To date, one of our favorite events was our participation in the Honor Flights Network Program. The Honor Flight Network Program transports America’s Veterans to Washington D.C. so that they can visit the memorials dedicated to honor their service and sacrifice. Our role was to meet and greet Veterans as they arrived at the airport and disembarked from their plane. We had the distinct privilege of giving a heroes’ welcome to America’s most senior Veterans, survivors of World War II. It was a great opportunity to for us to thank them for their service and remind them that their sacrifice to our country has not been forgotten. It was a great turnout and a very memorable experience.
CASTING CALL
SEEKING ON-CAMERA VETERANS FOR VA TV PSA and VIDEO
What
Duty First Consulting and Engine Pictures are auditioning Veterans to appear in a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) TV Public Service Announcement (PSA) and Web Video promoting the use of the e-Benefits Website (www.ebenefits.va.gov). From the casting we’ll choose about 7 Veterans to appear on screen. Ideally you’ll appear in both the TV PSA and the Video, but it’s possible that you’ll be chosen for just one or the other.
- The TV PSA will not require any talking – we’ll film you in a single scene that might be folding a flag, working at computer, or relaxing in a park. It’s also possible that something you do -- or somewhere you live or work -- will motivate us to alter our script a little to fit you!
- The Video will require talking - we will conduct a simple, informal, on-camera interview focused on e-Benefits.
Who
We are looking for retired or honorably discharged Veterans who have previously served in the uniformed services whether on active duty or in the National Guard and Reserve, regardless of length of service. We seek diverse ages, race/ethnicity, gender and those with disabilities. No experience is necessary. We’re looking for both current users of eBenefits and those who are not users yet. You may not be a VA employee.
When and Where
1. By August 8, 2012 - RSVP to audition
- To sign up for a time slot e-mail Melanie McGhee at mmcghee@enginepictures.com or call 202-342-9559.
2. August 10 and 11 2012 for Casting Call, 9:30am-7pm
- 20 minutes (there may be some wait time before you are called in)
- Location: The Spring Room in the Silver Spring Civic Building, located at
1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910, at corner of Ellsworth and Fenton Streets.
3. September 12 and 13, 2012 for TV PSA Shoot (Tentative Dates. If selected from Casting)
- Four hours
- Location: To be determined in the DC metro area
4. September 14, 2012 for Web Video (Tentative Date. If selected from Casting Call)
- Four Hours
- Location: To be determined in the DC metro area
Incentive
We’re asking you to volunteer for the casting. If you are selected you will be paid an incentive of $750 to appear in the PSA and Video. If you’re chosen to appear in one or the other you will receive an incentive of $500.
Thanks in advance! We look forward to seeing you!
As we begin our third year of operations and launch our new website and blog, I thought it a great time to document the DFC story. It’s been an adventure, to say the least, and if you’d told the young cadet version of me that I’d be where I am today I wouldn’t have believed you. My career plans of serving as a commissioned officer in the United States Army changed with a much earlier than planned medical discharge in 1992. I had a West Point diploma in hand, but I lacked the civilian business experience that would help me launch a non-military career. It’s a problem we hear a lot about these days and I certainly understand the challenges. I set off to pursue an MBA on a part time basis and was very fortunate to land an entry-level position with KPMG Peat Marwick (one of the former Big 6 accounting and consulting firms). I was immediately exposed to some outstanding mentors, and I began to cut my teeth on challenging client engagements, working many hours and learning a great deal. Over the next 16 years, I was able to serve in every level in the company as it became KPMG Consulting and then BearingPoint. I had delivered services or led projects in over 25 different client areas from NASA to state retirement systems to DoD. I was also honored to spend two years in New Zealand supporting the establishment of a systems integration business for BearingPoint. As I became a Managing Director, I focused my career on Federal Healthcare and provided leadership for teams at CMS, CDC, MHS, and VA.
In 2009 as BearingPoint went through a process of selling its North American business units to other consulting firms, I faced the biggest decision point in my business career. My team at the time was working primarily for the VA on a number of important initiatives and the buyer of this portfolio of business (Deloitte) was at that time the VA’s auditor. This created a conflict of interest situation that put the VA account in a pool of contracts that would not be purchased by Deloitte. I decided that this was my one big chance to operationalize a business concept that I had begun planning years earlier. Along with Ron Aument, my colleague at BearingPoint and former VA executive, we chose to take the steps to acquire these contracts and existing team to establish Duty First Consulting, a Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) focused on IT and management consulting for Federal clients. Our vision was and is clear. We will build a professional services firm that will operate with the same standards, quality, and professionalism as a multi-billion dollar firm. We will serve clients where we can deliver world-class insight, expertise, and solutions. We will share risk with our clients, add value to their organizations, and create win-win situations. We will attract and retain the best and brightest cadre of professionals with superior academic and business credentials. And we will operate this business with integrity, ethical values, and attention to service in our community. After two full years of business we believe we have made positive impacts on our clients’ challenges. And I’m proud that our clients have told us they agree. I’m also proud of each of our team member’s contributions and the work environment we have created. And while this career may not have been the one I had planned when I first went to West Point, it’s turned out to be better than I imagined.
 In this first post Terry Speegle shares his journey from West Point to Duty First. |
    |
Duty First and its teaming partners are contracted to provide strategic communications and marketing support for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ).
