Eight transitioning service members have joined HX5 through a national fellowship program since 2021. That figure comes from a recent Ritz Herald profile of Margarita Howard, the company’s CEO, which traces how her own years in uniform shape the way the firm brings veterans into civilian work.
The company hosts two fellows every year through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program. Margarita Howard has kept that pace steady rather than scaling participation up and down with short-term hiring needs. The profile describes her view that helping service members leave the military requires more than ordinary recruiting. It calls for structured routes into the specialized world of government contracting.
A Leader Who Knows the Path
Howard served in the Air Force and is a service-disabled veteran. “My background was influenced by military service,” she told the publication, noting how that experience colors company culture. Margarita Howard time in the military gave her direct knowledge of clearance requirements, chain-of-command structures, and the operational habits that tend to carry over well into contract performance.
After leaving the service, she completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She also worked in the defense industry on the team that implemented Tricare, the Defense Department’s health insurance program for service members and their families. That job showed her how contractors and federal agencies work together day to day.
Why the Numbers Matter
HX5 employs roughly 1,000 people. Large defense firms can take on dozens of fellows each year using dedicated military recruiting staff, while smaller companies have to weigh fellowship slots against their capacity to train and integrate new people. Two fellows annually gives HX5 a pace it can manage without straining operations.
Today the firm supports Department of Defense and NASA missions across more than 20 states and over 70 government locations. Its work spans research and development, engineering, information technology, and mission operations, and much of it requires security clearances. For HX5, the fellowship offers a dependable source of people who already understand those environments, and for Margarita Howard, it offers a way to put her own transition experience to practical use. Refer to this article, for related information.
Leave a Reply