A-G Associates

This holiday season, #TeamAG has been celebrating the spirit of giving by partnering with Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas in support of their Adopt-A-Family program. In just ten days, our team donated generously to make a local family’s holiday wish list come true – collecting both physical gifts and monetary donations of over $1,000 from our employees across the country. Seeing our team coming together to help make this holiday special for a family in need was a joy for all. Thank you to our incredible employees for donating so generously and to our long-time partner and client VOA for the opportunity to participate in this heart-warming program. Here’s to making a positive impact on the communities around us together! #HappyHolidays #HolidayGiving #Gratitude #AGAssociates #TeamAG #EmbraceChange #FocusOnImpact

#FunFriday! 🎉 To enjoy some holiday festivity as a team, A-G Associates employees local to the Columbia, MD area gathered last week at the Maryland Innovation Center to embrace the spirit of the season with delicious food, fun and games (including a lively game of A-G Bingo!), and lots of laughs together. The festivities also included wrapping gifts for Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas’s Adopt-A-Family program in the hopes of brightening the holiday season for a local family in need. 🎁 At the same time, remote employees enjoyed a virtual gathering, sharing stories and playing A-G Jeopardy with fun prizes for the big winners. The celebrations concluded with a “hybrid” of in-person and virtual gatherings joining together and a toast to reflect on an incredible year of accomplishments. With the holidays fast approaching and year-end activities keeping delivery teams busy, this time as a team was a special way to close out this year – with connection, gratitude, and joy together! Cheers to #TeamAG for making this season bright! 🥂

This December, A-G Associates President and Co-Founder Chris Gonzalez, PMP joined Mental Health America’s Regional Policy Council to present “Veterans Living with PTSD: Post-Traumatic Stress Without the Disorder”. Having served as a Marine for 17 years with two combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Chris shared his experience in Mental Health and the harmful effects of labeling Veterans with a “disorder”. Chris’ emphasis on post-traumatic growth offers a message of hope for Veterans facing mental health challenges after service: by finding support in others, cultivating a growth mindset, and pursuing meaningful work that helps others, Veterans can develop a sense of purpose and belonging through community. #AGAssociates #TeamAG #SmallBusiness #Leadership #ThoughtLeadership #Veterans #PTSDAwareness #PostTraumaticStress #VeteranMentalHealth #MVF #EmbraceChange #FocusOnImpact

A very special kudos goes to A-G Associates’ amazing Associate Vice President of Program Evaluation Lizbeth Ericka Caceda, MEd., CHLC, RYT. Not only did Lizbeth fulfill her dream of publishing a children’s book this year, but her book “I Am Not A Ballerina” was recently celebrated as a 2nd Place BookFest Award winner for nonfiction children's picture books! BookFest Awards honor authors who create outstanding works of fiction and nonfiction. Submissions are judged by an elite team of experts in the literary and entertainment world and judged in categories based on genre and theme. Congratulations to Lizbeth for the success of her passion project, proving once again that #TeamAG is achieving incredible things both on AND off the job!   Find “I Am Not a Ballerina” on Amazon, and click to learn more about BookFest: https://lnkd.in/dzjAmf2

Kudos to #AG Senior Analyst Carie Rodgers, Ph.D., ABPP, for the honor of joining the Board of Advisors for Strength in Service as Board Secretary. With the mission to cultivate culturally competent social workers to enhance the quality of life for active-duty service members, veterans, military spouses, and their families, this 501(c)3 non-profit seeks to promote mental health and belonging, create more resilient communities, and prevent mental health crises across the military, Veteran and family (MVF) community by developing skills, competencies, and community understanding in future social workers.   A nationally-recognized behavioral health expert who has devoted her career of more than two decades to the advancement of high-quality, evidence-based, compassionate mental health care that is both culturally relevant and grounded in science, Carie’s deep subject matter expertise and passion for improving the social drivers of health will make her a valuable voice at the table for this organization.    To learn more about Strength In Service and their mission, click here: https://lnkd.in/gV6hN26n #AGAssociates #TeamAG #Leadership #PublicHealth #PublicSafety #MentalHealth #SharingKnowledge #EmbraceChange #FocusOnImpact

‘Tis the season for #FridayFun team spotlights that celebrate #TeamAG togetherness, connection, and accomplishments! Today, we’re spotlighting our incredible Events Management Team, which recently gathered in Maryland for an in-person team retreat with a packed agenda of strategic planning, knowledge sharing, and bonding after a busy year providing exceptional stakeholder engagement, outreach, and event management support services for our federal sector customers. Here’s to our amazing team and another year of event management excellence ahead in 2025! #AG #EventsManagement #TeamSuccess #TeamAG #EmbraceChange #FocusOnImpact

Many thanks to Virginia APEX Accelerator for hosting a productive and engaging Defense Human Resource Activity (DHRA) Office of Small Business Programs Industry Outreach Symposium and Matchmaking Session at George Mason University earlier this week! Members of the #AG DoD team enjoyed connecting with program offices within #DHRA and meeting with current and prospective large business partners to forge new relationships and build upon a shared mission for enhancing military, Veteran, and family (MVF) wellbeing and quality of life. At #TeamAG, we appreciate every opportunity to share our passion for supporting the service community and look forward to carrying the positive energy from this event forward into 2025! Fors Marsh Kayleigh Bealer, MS Madison Merzke #AGAssociates #TeamAG #SmallBusiness #MilVetFamily #DefenseHumanResourceActivity #EmbraceChange #FocusOnImpact

Before the Thanksgiving holiday, A-G Associates President and Co-Founder Chris Gonzalez, PMP joined the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) Strategic Management class to share his story, career insights, and business lessons learned with graduating seniors and budding entrepreneurs as they face big decisions for their next steps. Sharing his untraditional path from the military to teaching to entrepreneurship, Chris spoke candidly of the pros and cons of business ownership, the challenges new business owners must overcome, the critical role of communication skills in daily operations, and the essential leadership traits needed to navigate complexity in a dynamic business environment: commitment, flexibility, patience, and discipline. As a small business owner deeply committed to entrepreneurial mentorship and small business stewardship, Chris believes in the power of knowledge sharing – particularly for aspiring young leaders just beginning their journey. Finding success as an entrepreneur is no easy feat, but for these soon-to-be business leaders, there’s no gate-keeping with Chris! #AGAssociates #TeamAG #SmallBusiness #Leadership #SharingKnowledge #NoGatekeeping #EmbraceChange #FocusOnImpact

As a small business founded with the vision of affecting positive change for the betterment of our communities, #AG's social mission to give back in meaningful ways is a part of our DNA. Throughout 2024, A-G has supported a number of impactful non-profit organizations close to our hearts. Whether sponsoring HealthCare Access Maryland's (HCAM) 5K For the Health of It race advancing vital health insurance, care, and wellness resources for Maryland residents, participating as a Platinum Sponsor in the Travis Manion Foundation’s 9/11 Heroes 5k honoring 9/11 first responders, promoting mental health and healing among the next generation of Veterans and active-duty service members by sponsoring the 2024 Warrior GMR Foundation Mental Health and Gaming Summit, or providing meaningful career development opportunities for Veterans through the Hiring Our Heroes fellows program, #TeamAG is proud to support missions that matter with volunteerism, sponsorship, and corporate resources. This #GivingTuesday, if you are looking for an impactful non-profit to support, please consider making a gift to one of these important causes. Today – and every day – giving can make a difference! #Gratitude #AGAssociates #TeamAG #EmbraceChange #FocusOnImpact

As #VeteransAndMilitaryFamilyMonth comes to a close, we’re proud to celebrate the amazing Military Veteran Family members at A-G who bring their unique perspectives and unwavering commitment to our mission. Their experiences and expertise drive the meaningful impact we create every day. Join us in honoring the incredible Military Veteran Family members who make up over 50% of the A-G Associates team. From military moms and wives to children and Veterans, these members of #TeamAG embody the dedication, strength, and resilience that define the Military Veteran Family community. To our #MVF members: Thank you for everything you do—for your families, our company, and the communities we serve. 💙💪 #MilitaryFamily #Gratitude #AGAssociates #TeamAG #EmbraceChange #FocusOnImpact #Gratitude