ROCKVILLE, Md., May 11, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - DSFederal CEO Sophia Parker has been awarded the Small Business Administration's Small Business Person of the Year for Maryland award. The award "recognizes small business owners who have achieved notable success while also making valuable contributions to their community." The SBA formally recognized Parker at a Wednesday luncheon in Silver Spring and a Friday ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C.
At the White House ceremony, SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet heralded Parker and other state winners for their success in launching and growing small businesses. Raised in a Taiwanese orphanage, Parker started the multimillion dollar company from her dining room table with her 22-year-old son in 2007. It is now a leading government consulting and health IT company with an extensive base of government clients. After earning admission to the 8(a) program in 2008, DSFederal has evolved into one of the fastest-growing firms in the government contracting industry. The staff, which consists of 61% women and 63% minorities, follows Parker's goals of attentive customer focus and diligent service to the community.
Parker's business philosophy contrasts sharply with other firms: she cooks hot lunches twice weekly for her staff of 130 and donates a minimum of 25 percent of net profits to charitable projects such as building a library and computer lab at an orphanage in Kabul. "She does things from the heart and she sees the staff as an extension of her family," said DSFederal Vice President of Operations Linda Cooney. "We have a very collaborative work environment, where all of our suggestions matter."
In a region where federal contractors are known as "Beltway bandits," Parker's socially responsible firm stands out as a company that is "interested in doing good work, not getting bottom line dollars. We do a better job taking care of our customers than larger companies do," Parker said. "This SBA recognition is very meaningful because when my staff proudly tells people they work for DSFederal, people will know who we are."
About DSFederal: DSFederal is a consulting firm specializing in IT services, health & grant data analytics, and training for government agencies. Clients include the Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Transportation, Defense, and Agriculture, among others. Projects range from developing mobile apps for fire services professionals to customizing software and processes that manage billions of dollars for HHS agencies. http://www.dsfederal.com
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