Geospatial Consulting Group International, LLC (geocgi) was founded 20 years ago by Julie Christie and Andy Hanes after relocating from San Diego, CA to the Washington, D.C. area to serve DoD clients, where they recognized an opportunity to start a new company together. Identifying a single client and one program, they began as a subcontractor and successfully captured two critical positions on a newly competed GEOFidelis contract.
From two and a half employees located in Washington, D.C. and Hawaii to more than one hundred and ten employees around the globe, Julie and Andy recognize the hard work and contributions of those who have been part of the company over the past twenty years. Their collective efforts have shaped the sustainability and reputation that make geocgi the preeminent small business GIS firm it is today.
Geocgi started with some lessons learned and a few key goals: 1. Narrow the focus; 2. Invest in the professional development of staff to their and their clients’ benefit; 3. Work harder than the competition to gain the loyalty of both clients and staff. Julie says, “We wanted to specialize, to be niche service providers.” They came from company environments that tried to be and do too many things. The result was often that too many things were not done well. At geocgi, the goal was different. They wanted to build a reputation for incomparable quality and excellence in the marketplace. They also set out to create a different kind of company culture. It would reflect the values of its leaders and demonstrate genuine appreciation for employees and their well-being.
From the beginning, this meant making thoughtful and intentional choices. Early priorities included investing in the right equipment and software, along with supporting conference attendance, training, and professional certifications to help GIS and IT professionals grow in their careers. They also took a progressive approach to benefits. In 2006, they selected healthcare policies that extended coverage to as many people as possible, including unmarried partners, same sex couples, and extended family members living in the same household. These options were not easy to find at the time. Their approach to compensation followed the same philosophy. They implemented a 401(k) safe harbor plan with no vesting period. This was designed to reward employees for their contributions in real time rather than years down the line. They also chose to offer annual bonuses instead of stock options, avoiding long vesting schedules and ensuring more immediate recognition of hard work. Julie and Andy believed that by taking care of their staff, their staff would take care of their clients. In doing so, they built the kind of loyalty they were seeking, both internally and externally.
In the early days, employees like Andy Hanes at Headquarters Marine Corps, Ron Salz at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and Rick Momsen at Camp Butler in Okinawa, Japan, worked tirelessly. Julie worked part-time as president of geocgi and full-time as VP of Contracts and Proposals for another startup company. Days supporting the client, nights and weekends strategizing on expansion, hard work that took years to pay off in some cases. As more opportunities were realized, an expanded workforce operated out of a single-family home in Alexandria, VA. The environment was implemented to be cost-effective, but it lent itself to something much more special – a familial sense of community across the team. While working among old family tchotchkes, youth sports equipment, and dog toys, staff made the most of their space. Ikea dining tables were rigged to double as ping pong tables. Weekly barbecues became a staple in the backyard, and before long, employees began bringing in their own pets, adding to the communal feel.
Julie reflects, “As we outgrew that initial space, we made a point to recreate that same environment wherever we went. It’s not easy to maintain that kind of familial vibe as you grow, but we were intentional about finding spaces that gave both new and long-term employees a sense of community. We wanted an environment that encouraged people to get to know one another. There would be no sterile Dulles Corridor cubicle offices for us.”
Pre-COVID, geocgi operated out of two offices in Alexandria, one of which many employees swore was haunted. Post-COVID, the team consolidated and kept the decidedly un-haunted Del Ray office that the company calls home today. Times at geocgi have not always been easy. Julie describes earlier years as “a roller coaster where unsecured Government budgets made annual staffing ramp ups and cuts an unfortunate reality. When Covid hit, we had no idea what the result would be.” Smaller and larger successes continued, and major milestones like geocgi’s first prime contract award at MCIPAC in 2015 made all the hard work worth it. Julie is also quick to point out that sometimes even a loss is a win.
Around the same time in 2015, geocgi competed for a prime spot on the Army’s IGI&S multiple award contract. “Andy, Adam, Shannon, and I worked so hard on that proposal, more than 150 pages of hard copy delivery, and after submission, the Government canceled the solicitation without any awards.” Shortly after the cancellation, the procuring contracting office contacted geocgi directly to share that, despite the outcome, their proposal was outstanding and that the Army had multiple opportunities they believed geocgi would be a strong fit for. Out of that “failure” came ten years of support to Arlington National Cemetery, along with a lasting lesson that hard work is ultimately rewarded.
2017 all-hands meeting
Andy and Julie called out several early key contributors to the Company’s initial success, along with some long-time key contributors. These long-time contributors have at least two critically important traits in common: 1. They’re not afraid to take on a new challenge; and 2. They are generally the hardest-working people in any given room. Since the beginning, Shannon Blomberg has gone from Office Manager and Bookkeeper to head of Human Resources, to Marketing and Event Lead – never limiting her scope and always agreeing to do the job that needed to get done on any given day. Ally McDonald started in Operations and, without hesitation, volunteered to shift over to Human Resources when we grew too big for Shannon to wear three different hats. Adam Campbell and PG Katsourakis both started as GIS Analysts and worked themselves into progressively more critical executive leadership roles. In Julie’s words, “To this day, PG astounds me with the amount of time and consideration he puts into both client management and employee satisfaction. He is, without a doubt, one of the hardest workers I have ever met. And Adam, any task you give him, he will excel at, and he will show gratitude for the learning experience you gave him through the assignment. He genuinely loves a challenge.” Andy says, “It is workers like these – from interns to executive team members that define our success.”
When asked about the Company’s future, Andy says, “I look forward to continued expansion in Europe and Asia. Particularly within NATO. And I want to continue to provide a platform where individuals can come and reach their professional goals and grow in their careers. Whether they stay with geocgi and develop from technical contributors or administrative support personnel into executives like PG Katsourakis, Adam Campbell, Ally McDonald, Jesse Parker, and Nathan Russell, or they go on to work with other companies big and small – I enjoy watching their progression.” When asked what excites her about her daily work and the future for geocgi, Julie said, “The answer is simple: beyond revenue and employee count milestones… what I look forward to most is identifying the next new client to whom we get to demonstrate our worth. . .our value. I look forward to showing them why they made the best possible choice when they picked us, and I like to watch that level of commitment and loyalty build through excellent service provided by our highly qualified, educated, and dedicated staff.” Julie went on to discuss how geocgi employees are the other part of the equation for her, “I love bringing in new talent and seeing who is going to be the next Adam Campbell or PG Katsourakis. I always want to know who is standing out, who is making a big impact.” Some of the newer hires that Andy and Julie mentioned they are watching include Melanie Duncan and Kyler Arbeiter “these two will take on any task you give them, and you can literally forget about it. They will kill it every time and never let you see them sweat”. They also highlighted technical personnel like Ryan Young and Nick Guzi. “They impress co-workers and clients alike. They figure things out and make themselves invaluable on any team.” Julie and Andy went on to call out Jason Thacker for his “unbounded energy and ability to manage so many different tasks,” Matt Wheeler for his dedication to both client and team, and Christine Johnson for making her team shine, among others.
“Bottom line, even if you are unsure of it, your hard work is being noticed, and I am proud of how hard all of our employees work.”
Here’s to the next 20 years!
