In a memo from 8-koi COO Dean Rosenquist (USAF ret.) dated June 14, 8-koi’s Corporate Recruiter Carlos Badillo was formally recognized as the Program Manager for the newly established Veterans Employee Resource Group (VERGe).

The memo states that the VERGe initiative helps to “codify a framework attracting, hiring, retaining, nurturing and developing veterans within our organization” and was written on the date that celebrates both Flag Day and the birthday of the US Army as a symbolic gesture to commemorate the impact of our veterans throughout our nation’s history.

Carlos is a veteran of both the US Navy and the US Army and has concentrated his expertise in talent acquisition to help 8-koi strategize an approach to making the company a veteran employer of choice. Under Carlos’ direction, 8-koi was able to advance related policy and programming that garnered the HIRE Vets Gold Medallion recognition received in November 2021.

“As a service-disabled veteran, myself, and a product of the Vocational Rehabilitation and Education program, I am a direct beneficiary of such partnership efforts between government and industry,” says Carlos. “I see the intrinsic value.”

“Carlos’ work to establish this employee resource group for 8-koi will help us to leverage some of industry’s emerging best practices to provide the resources for not only attracting our future team members, but also to continue to evolve our collective employee labor experience,” says Dean Rosenquist.

Headquartered on Florida’s Space Coast near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Patrick Space Force Base, 8-koi is part of a larger ‘Great American Defense Community’ that is actively working towards creating a more supportive environment for veterans and active-duty families to live and work in Brevard County. In April this year, Hiring Our Heroes designated Florida’s Space Coast as a Military Spouse Economic Empowerment Zone (MSEEZ). 8-koi has been a member of the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) since February 2018.

8-koi Founder Inga Young serves as President of the Women In Defense Space Coast Chapter, and the company participates in DoD Skillbridge and the Veterans at Work program with the Society of Human Resource Management. 8-koi and subsidiary Cape Design Engineering (CDE) currently employ about a dozen veterans and military spouses in total.

The objectives of the 8-koi Veterans Employee Resource Group include the following:

• Enhance awareness and increase access to career opportunities for veteran job seekers
• Facilitate and enhance transition from military service to corporate environment by helping to remove barriers, mitigating challenges, and maximizing opportunities
• Provide professional and “life coaching” and mentoring to our veteran employees
• Foster communication and collaboration between veteran employees, their colleagues and the leadership of our company
• Help to identify technical, industry, and community service resources available to veterans

Carlos will be working with a team to develop internal and external resources for the VERGe to include an internal channel for employees to find and engage with veterans’ support assets as well as an external promotional campaign to help to position the company as a veteran and military friendly contractor in the eyes of potential candidates and customers.

Reflecting on his employment with 8-koi that he started in September 2021, Carlos says, “8-koi has seen the value in me not just as an employee, but as a whole person. They have welcomed me with open arms and always encourage me to tap into my fullest potential. This exemplifies the company’s value of thoughtfulness to provide full-spectrum solutions with a ‘human touch.’  The establishment of the VERGe is just another example of our company translating ideals and intent into action.” 

View more about 8-koi careers for veterans and military spouses at https://www.8-koi.com/careers/

8-koi and CDE are celebrating Internship Awareness Month by recognizing our hard-working student employees, some of whom have gone on to be full-time permanent members of our team. According to the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), the retention rate of hired interns is higher than other entry-level employees. 

“These young people are a highly valuable asset to our success and longevity,” says company President Inga Young. “It’s important to help shape the next generation of professionals by allowing them to contribute in meaningful ways while imparting our core values of passion, excellence, dependability, and thoughtfulness.” 

“Internships are not meant to be free help. They are not meant to replace an employee. And they shouldn’t be used for busy work.” 

Roy Mauer, SHRM

At 8-koi and CDE, this guidance is definitely taken to heart. Below you will read more about our exceptional interns and student employees who play and have played a significant role in helping to meet company objectives while also honing their skills to be top-notch business leaders in their own rights. 

Sheena Heitzman’s SUV was packed with toys and gifts when she arrived at Cocoa Village on December 1st. She came dressed in the holiday spirit with her co-workers from 8-koi, Maidilia Rilo and Carlos Badillo, to deliver the load to the Great Brevard Toy Drop. Carlos channeled his best Santa under the Central Florida sun to show support for the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Charity. The gifts will be given to infants, children, and teens throughout Brevard who are in-need of a little cheer this Christmas season.

8-koi’s team of elves helped to collect the toys that were donated by other employees at the company’s three locations and by members of the community across Brevard. They worked to ensure that the goodies were delivered with care to the community event at Riverfront Park in time for the “Reverse Parade” to begin and follow the countywide route to pick up more toys.

“This was truly a team effort,” says Carlos Badillo, 8-koi’s Corporate Recruiter. “Our COO Dean Rosenquist received donations from business associates across the community and brought in a box full of toys the night before the Drop. Our engineering project coordinator Sheena did a wonderful job orchestrating the overall operation, and my fellow recruiter Maidilia was instrumental in coordinating with the Sheriff’s Office and establishing our collection point at our new headquarters building in Suntree.”

8-koi’s Melbourne and Merritt Island offices also served as collection points for the donation drive that was supported as a community initiative of the Space Coast Chapter of Women in Defense. 8-koi President Inga Young serves as the 2021-22 SCWID Board President and Sheena is Past-Treasurer.

“This was a fun endeavor and gave each and every one of us far more than we contributed. It truly captured the spirit of the season and embodied our company’s ‘human touch’ to business and to community outreach,” reflects Carlos.

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“My parents set a strong example for me,” says 8-koi Founder and President Inga I. Young. “They emigrated from China and earned advanced degrees with scholarships that eventually led them to make careers working at NASA. They met at the University of Texas in Austin where my dad was obtaining a PhD in Electrical Engineering and my mom a Master’s degree in Chemistry. I never had to pay for my education or take out a loan.”

This is the premise that guides Inga in deciding to support local scholarship funds and organizations that value education on behalf of her government contracting business. In 2021, the company gave financially to no less than four college scholarship funds and contributed to other notable local non-profits providing support to students in need of educational support.