Mike McGregor is GKG's VP of Customer Engagement, who recently also took the helm of GKG's Growth team! Mike, a retired colonel, has 29 years of experience in the Army as a Human Resources Officer. His last role before joining the GKG family was Director of Enlisted Personnel Management for the United States Army Human Resources Command in Fort Knox, KY.

We talk to Mike about his Army career,  how he supported modernization and automation efforts in the Army, what his transition into the civilian world was like, and how he now supports the federal government with HR operations  at GKG!

Chapters: 

• 0:36 – Mike's Introduction
• 1:28 – Why Mike pursued Human Resources in the Army
• 2:13 – Mike’s role managing the careers and lives of 385,000 enlisted soldiers at the Army Human Resources Command
• 4:30 – Enhancing HR experience with automation 
• 5:00 – Automating the Army's assignment process
• 7:15 – Transition from military to the civilian world 
• 8:00 – Adjutant General's Corps Regimental Association (AGCRA)
• 10:00 – Advice for others transitioning out of the military 
• 13:00 – Thoughts on mentors
• 14:00 – How a company like GKG supports Federal HR 
• 14:45 – GKG HR Automation

Tom Shankle, GKG’s Senior Solution Architect, sat down with Lynsee Gibbons to discuss how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making an impact in the federal government. 

Tom talks about GKG's AI tool, which has the potential to create huge efficiencies in federal hiring. 

Chapters:

• 0:09 – Introduction and Background 
• 1:08 – How AI is being used currently by the federal government
• 2:25 – How AI is assisting with federal hiring 
• 5:52 – How do AI processes meet federal regulations? 
• 7:43 – How can gov't executive utilize AI services? 
• 9:50 – How interested agencies and customers contact GKG for our AI services

Noah Wexler, GKG’s IT Business Analyst, sat down with Lynsee Gibbons to discuss some of GKG’s recent IT work and strategy when it comes to future endeavors.  

Noah has been with GKG for a little over his year, but his work in technology solutions has already made a huge splash. We all recognize the IT world can be confusing and a little overwhelming if you’re not an expert, but Noah helps break everything down to give you a great peak into his world. 

Chapters:

• 0:37 – Introduction & Background 
• 2:09 – Implementation work done across GKG’s platforms 
• 3:04 – What enterprise systems does GKG use? How do they integrate into an employee’s everyday workflow?
• 4:45 – The work Noah does to automate workflows and how it helps users 
• 6:10 – Why Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is becoming so important in Gov't and Gov't Contracting
• 8:25 – How GKG creates an environment for success in IT  

In honor of Black History Month, this episode of GKG on Air dives into a unique and special story of a GKG family member. GKG’s Lynsee Gibbons is joined by Sonya Miranda, GKG’s Senior Training & Organizational Development Consultant. Sonya shares an incredible story about unveiling a family legacy and reclaiming their past - a journey that was recently featured in The Washington Post. 

Sonya and her family grew up in Pittsylvania County -  a small county in southern Virginia. In their hometown, there was one particular house that held secrets for over 160 years, and now, has been the answer to questions Sonya had her entire life. It wasn’t until her cousin, Fredrick, purchased the house, known as Sharswood Manor, that finally some of those questions were answered. What began as a real estate endeavor,  suddenly became a walk through the past, as Sonya and her family discovered their very ancestors were enslaved on that property - a former plantation.

Join us as Sonya tells the story of Sharswood from her perspective, and find out what will become of this historic landmark that her family now owns.

To read more about this story, please check out the Washington Post Article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/01/22/virginia-plantation-slavery-owners-history/

To learn more about Sonya, please check out the Women’s History Month video we did on her last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFgzS46SOGY

Chapters:

• 0:08 - 0:25 – Introducing Sonya 
• 0:25 - 1:45 – Background on The Washington Post article
• 1:45 – 3:05 – Sonya’s family history and finding the link to Sharswood 
• 3:07 – 7:11 – Fredrick’s purchase and the research behind the history of Sharswood 
• 7:13 – 9:11 – The Miller name lineage, and finding family roots after being set free
• 9:13 –12:09 – Sarah Miller - Sonya's Great Great Grandmother 
• 12:10 – 13:58 – How it feels to reclaim the past  
• 14:00 – 16:17 – What will become of Sharswood for Sonya’s family 
• 16:18 – 19:13 – Sonya’s journey to discover her lineage in Africa 
• 19:20 – 19:59 – Thanking Sonya and where to find out more about Sharswood

Beverly Davis, GKG’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager, sat down with Lynsee Gibbons to discuss the part of her title that people typically aren't as familiar with - equity. Beverly examines one of her favorite theories called “Equity Theory” that was developed by J. Stacy Adams in the 1960s. 

In the episode, Beverly helps us understand why equity in the workplace is essential, and what an organization and managers can focus on to ensure equitable treatment of employees.

Beverly has completed years of research and instruction, and has vast experience from her career as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. She is a wealth of knowledge and loves to "nerd out" on this topic. She is always open to a more in-depth conversation - just email her to set that up.

GKG also has an Inclusion & Culture team run by Donnielle DeMesme. Donnielle and her team’s door is always open as well.

• Beverly’s email: [email protected]
• Donnielle’s email: [email protected]
• I&C email: [email protected]

 Chapters:

• 0:07 – Introducing Beverly and her role at GKG
• 0:55- The difference between Equality and Equity 
• 4:30 – The concept of Equity Theory 
• 8:00 – How workers react to perceptions about fairness in the workplace (4 Propositions) 
• 11:00 – What are the role of managers in all of this? 
• 13:00 – Goals we can make as individuals and an organization to focus on equity 

GKG’s Talent Acquisition Manager, Jennie Sikes, and GKG’s Talent Acquisition Specialist, Elena Horton, sat down with Lynsee Gibbons to provide a peak into what the recruiting world  looks like behind the scenes here at GKG. 

Jennie and Elena have spent many years working in the recruiting field, and have reshaped GKG's recruiting process. As Jennie describes it, recruiting can be the “E-Harmony of the Working World" in order to find a perfect match for both the candidate and company. Whether you’re new to the company or have been here since day one, knowing and understanding the importance of the recruiting process is important as we grow.

Chapters: 

• 0:37 – Introductions/Backgrounds 
• 1:45 – Reshaping the recruiting process at GKG
• 2:49 – Describing GKG's Applicant Tracking Systems and how it aids the recruiting process
• 4:30 – What makes a candidate stand out?
• 6:12 – Something important in recruiting that you may not be aware of 
• 7:30 – Final take-aways

GKG’s Business Analyst, Crystal Romero, sat down with Lynsee Gibbons to share some of her experiences as a Native American. With Indigenous People’s Day and Native American Heritage Month this fall, learning more about Native American culture is important. 

In the episode, Crystal discusses her time living on a reservation, the traditions she participated in as a child, as well as some of the struggles that Native Americans still face in our society today. With the Native American community only making about 2% of the U.S. population, their challenges can go unnoticed. An issue within the community right now is Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, which Crystal discusses. 

To learn more about this issue and stay alert, please follow their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mmiwusa/

To purchase a copy of the book written about Crystal’s uncle, you can find it here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Spirit-Rising-American-Spiritual-ebook/dp/B089YWFP8M

Both Crystal and the Inclusion and Culture team are always happy to answer any questions you may have about Native American heritage. 

• 0:00 – Introducing Crystal & her Native American background
• 1:50 - Crystal's experiences living on a reservation
• 6:30 – What Crystal wants others to know about Native American culture 
• 8:20 – Some of the challenges Crystal & other Native Americans face  
• 11:02 – Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women within the Native American Community  

GKG’s Senior Instructional Designer, Paul Guansing, sat down with Lynsee Gibbons to provide an inside look at what goes into creating training modules for GKG. 

Paul has been in Learning & Development for 13 years and joined GKG in May to support GKG University and folks throughout the company with their training needs. In this episode, Paul covers what he needs from colleagues to create the most effective trainings.

Chapters: 

• 0:25 – Introducing Paul & his role at GKG
• 1:34 – Designing vs. Facilitating a training  
• 2:44 – The future of training delivery
• 3:30 – GKG University & different types of training Paul does for GKG
• 4:23 – What Paul needs from employees to create successful trainings   
• 8:13 – How Paul got starting in the Learning & Development Field.

GKG’s summer interns, Jon Teitelbaum and Luke Harris, sat down with Lynsee Gibbons to reflect on their first experiences working in the government contracting space. 

Jon worked with the PMO office while Luke spent the summer with the Communications and Marketing team. How did GKG help them develop? Do Luke and Jon better understand what they want to pursue in the future? Lynsee, Jon and Luke discuss these questions and more in this episode.

Chapters:

• 0:30 - Guest Introductions & Backgrounds
• 2:30 – What did each intern consider the biggest lesson learned at GKG?
• 4:05 – What did they feel was the biggest surprise during their internships?
• 5:30 – What is a skillset they learned in school that they put into practice at GKG?
• 7:50 – How has this internship at GKG prepared them for their future?

GKG’s Vice President of Shared and Managed Services, Jessica Salmoiraghi, and GKG's Director of Business Capture, Reggie Bullock, sat down with GKG's Lynsee Gibbons to give insight about the importance of fourth quarter budget spending within the federal government.

The last day of the fiscal year is September 30th. During the fourth quarter and running up until the last day in the fiscal year,  government agencies need to ensure they spend their entire budget. What does that mean for GKG? Reggie and Jessica discuss how GKG can leverage this opportunity to grow our business.

• 0:30: What's the significance of 4th quarter of the fiscal year?
  
  
• 2:30: Who in the government is in the position to spend this money? 
  
  
• 3:45: Why is it important government budgets are fully spent?
  
  
• 5:45: How can GKG help the federal government spend year end funds? 
  
  
• 8:25: How GKG can make it easier for the federal government to spend this money?