Daphne joined SkyePoint more than 12 years ago and is an Operations Process Analyst on our Department of State Vanguard 2.2.1 contract and she is one of our Department of State Site Leads. She connects most with SkyePoint’s mission; “Enabling our clients to most efficiently and effectively deliver their mission – anytime, anywhere, securely”. We asked Daphne to tell us a bit more about herself both inside and outside of work, and here is what she shared:

Who are some of your biggest inspirations within the Company?
Bo Kimbrough, the founder/CEO inspires me because he is people-oriented; he cares about people. He is very direct; you don’t have to guess about who he is or what he is thinking. He is goal-oriented and determined and that is impressive.

Heather Conigliaro, the Chief Operations Officer inspires me as a female who came to SkyePoint not knowing anyone but utilized her skills to accomplish not only her goals but the goals of the company. She also cares about people and will do her best to help others. She listens and is always seeking ways to improve. She is a caring and honest person. I always remember when Heather initially came to SkyePoint and I had a concern but didn’t say anything. She sensed that something was wrong and asked me about it. After I told her about the problem, she immediately corrected it and she said to always let her know if something is wrong. We have an open line of communication which I appreciate and value.
Melanie Fetters, our Project Manager is always there to help!! I appreciate her help with different activities. She is just always there and easy to talk to about different things. She is always responsive when I need her.

I think one thing that all these individuals have in common to me is the kindness, caring, loyal and determination for the employees and the company.

What kinds of resources have you taken advantage of while at the Company?
I have enjoyed taking advantage of our brown bag sessions, ITIL training and site lead. One brown bag session I attended that made an impression on me was in July 2021 on the topic of IT Service Management presented by Al Kelly. It was very detailed, informative, and well presented. These types of activities give us an opportunity for continued growth, which I value. The ITIL training was helpful to learn as much as possible.

I’ve enjoyed our holiday events. They are always creative and well organized. Although we were not able to come together in 2020 due to the pandemic, SkyePoint still put together something virtually.

I’ve enjoyed the luncheons we used to have with Bo as well as the happy hours. These types of events bring the company together as well as our families. It is meaningful to us to include our families in our company activities.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? 
Interacting with the staff of other employees.

What is the best part of SkyePoint’s corporate culture? 
The commitment and unity.

What has been the most challenging project or aspect of your job, and how have you been able to overcome it? 
To effectively perform my job, I have to obtain information from others, which can be challenging at times. To overcome this, I utilize all aspects of communication (i.e., text, email, phone messages, etc.). I listen to the employees and take notes of our conversations. I also try to identify with them personally because although we are hired to perform a job, we all have personal lives, and sometimes it helps to know that someone cares.

What is your proudest professional achievement? 
I was the EML (email) Operations Manager for eight years. It was a very challenging and demanding position, but I learned so much and believe I impacted the people within the State Department environment.

How do you define success? 
To me, success is my faith, peace of mind, family, and friends.

What does true leadership mean to you? 
Being able to encourage and motivate others and setting an example for others. People will see what you are doing, and if it is encouraging and motivating, they won’t have a problem following. What you do will trickle down to others to make a difference in your environment. It may not change the world, but it will make a difference where you are.

What is on your bucket list? 
Having my kitchen remodeled.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be? 
I would protect children and the elderly from danger.

Favorite candy? 
It used to be almond joy, but as I’ve gotten older, I love a good piece of Ghiradelli Intense Dark Sea Salt Almond (Dark Chocolate).

Benita Chibayere is a contractor and team leader of SkyePoint’s Plan of Actions and Milestones (POA&M) management team for all FSA systems. She offers guidance on the POA&M processes while organizing and supervising workload to meet client expectations. We asked Benita to discuss what she does both at work and outside of work. Here is what she shared:

How and when did you join SkyePoint?
I joined SkyePoint in January 2022.

What parts of SkyePoint’s mission do you most connect with?
SkyePoint prides itself as a mission-oriented organization, leveraging the competencies of a diverse workforce in pushing the boundaries of IT Security solutions that enable clients – primarily federal government agencies – to achieve their business mandates. This passion for goal accomplishment strikes me the most out of this great company’s many overlapping and competing values. I am a natural goal-getter poised to identify solutions and take daily action to accomplish set goals. Consequently, SkyePoint’s passion for success naturally aligns with my predilections. It blends into my daily routine and has become second nature.

Who are some of your biggest inspirations within the Company?
There are several good, and inspiring figures, people/colleagues that I have met since my employment with SkyePoint. Melanie Fetters, who helped myself and the team to have a smooth transition to SkyePoint, has had the most profound impact/inspiration on me.

What kinds of resources have you taken advantage of while at the Company?
I am excited to take advantage of the quarterly target certifications offered by SkyePoint to acquire more certs.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job is providing the highest level of service to my client and gaining their trust.

What is the best part of SkyePoint’s corporate culture?
In my assessment, SkyePoint’s corporate culture could well go down as the most legendary attribute of the company that has made the relationship between employees and management remain incredibly strong. In addition, SkyePoint encourages social interaction by organizing activities where employees can meet and socialize.

What has been the most challenging project or aspect of your job, and how have you been able to overcome it?
The most challenging part of my job was doing a lot of manual work because a major tool was broken. I overcame that challenge by coming up with workarounds while the tool was being fixed.

Have you implemented any innovative tools or techniques that help with your job?
I have implemented processes that helped increase productivity and efficiency.

What is your proudest professional achievement?
I will say my proudest professional achievement is getting my certifications. I don’t like to be complacent; it was imperative for me to continue to acquire knowledge to improve my skillsets.

How do you define success?
Success in my job is a portion of something even more significant than my role. I view success as the achievement of the collective goals of the unit which I lead and, most importantly, helping SkyePoint to meet worthy goals that bring the much-desired values to our clients and the parts of the universe that we can impact positively by the nature of the business we support.

If you could switch your job with anyone else within SkyePoint, whose job would you want? (or whose job would you want to try for a day)
If I could switch my job with anyone else within SkyePoint, I will say someone in corporate leadership. I would like to get an insight on what they do.

What does true leadership mean to you?
I consider authentic leadership to be demonstrable traits that tend to listen without being condescending. This understanding of leadership thrives on the willingness to hear the perspectives of others without rushing to judgment. Such a trait enables true leaders to be patient and relentless in their ability to pursue excellence and motivate the team to do their best as individuals and as a team. In addition, the ability to be a good listener tends to influence followership and support in achieving collective goals. Besides, it endears the leaders to colleagues and people they meet.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
My superpower is to fly to any where I want.

Favorite candy?
I am not into candy, but if I had to pick one, European chocolate.