On the heels of being announced as an Elev8 GovCon Honoree – again – EMKS’ President, James Bonner (Major General, U.S. Army, Retired) shares insight into how they reach and exceed the bar when it comes to partnering, taking care of employees, and being engaged in their community and why this recognition is a reflection of the hard work, dedication, and heart of every member of the team.
Success Built on Trust and Shared Purpose
At EMKS, being a good partner is at the core of who we are. In the government contracting world, success isn’t achieved in isolation—it’s built through trust, collaboration, and shared purpose. We believe that strong partnerships, whether with our clients, teammates, or industry peers, are what truly drive mission success.
For us, being a good partner means bringing more to the relationship than we take. We operate with transparency, integrity, and respect—our word is our bond. We take the time to understand our partners’ goals and challenges so that we can tailor our support to complement their strengths and fill in where we can add the most value.
We also empower our people to make decisions and act in real time, ensuring that our partners can get the answers and support they need without layers of bureaucracy. That accessibility—both from our on-site teams and our leadership—creates trust and makes collaboration seamless.
Ultimately, being a good partner means being someone others can count on, not just to meet expectations but to exceed them. When our partners succeed, our clients succeed—and that’s what drives everything we do at EMKS.
Growing Talent Equates to Fostering Innovation
At EMKS, we see growing talent and fostering innovation as inseparable. When our people thrive, our clients benefit directly. By empowering our teams to think critically, collaborate cross-functionally, and embrace continuous learning, we create an environment where new ideas emerge naturally—and those ideas translate into smarter, faster, and more effective solutions for our federal clients.
One of the ways we bring this to life is through our cross-functional “One-Team” approach, which was born out of a frustration with the slow, top-down decision-making that can often hinder progress in large organizations. Instead of forcing teams to navigate layers of bureaucracy, we empower employees at every level to make decisions and take ownership of results. This not only accelerates innovation but also ensures our clients’ missions are achieved efficiently and effectively.
We also partner junior staff alongside senior leaders, creating a two-way mentorship model. Emerging professionals gain firsthand experience and leadership exposure, while seasoned experts learn to leverage new tools and technologies from the next generation of talent. It’s a dynamic exchange that keeps our teams agile and forward-thinking—qualities our federal clients value deeply.
What makes EMKS unique is that we don’t innovate for innovation’s sake; we innovate with purpose. Whether it’s streamlining internal processes, improving client outcomes, or fostering a culture that values creativity and collaboration, our investment in people and innovation fuels mission success across every engagement.
Evolving Alongside a Changing Landscape
At EMKS, continuous improvement isn’t a project—it’s a mindset woven into everything we do. The federal landscape is constantly evolving, and to serve our clients effectively, we must evolve alongside it. That’s why we continually evaluate our operations, processes, and performance metrics to ensure we’re not just meeting expectations, but exceeding them.
We apply this philosophy company-wide, from internal back-office operations to customer-facing engagements. Our leadership team devotes a significant portion of its quarterly executive meetings to analyzing operational efficiency, identifying areas for optimization, and ensuring our resources are aligned with our clients’ most critical needs.
Our teams embrace an efficiency-driven approach, focusing on streamlining workflows, eliminating unnecessary steps, and leveraging data to make smarter decisions. We track key metrics across all our processes and conduct leadership reviews to assess performance against those metrics. This allows us to identify trends early, make informed adjustments, and maintain both agility and accountability.
We also foster a culture of empowerment—our employees are trusted to make decisions and take initiative without waiting for layers of approval. This not only accelerates delivery and responsiveness but strengthens our partnerships with federal clients, who know they can rely on us for timely, high-quality results.
By investing in both our people and our processes, EMKS has built a foundation of operational excellence that ensures we can adapt quickly, stay efficient, and continuously raise the standard of service we deliver to the federal government.
A Responsibility to Give Back
At EMKS, we believe that success in the federal contracting industry comes with a responsibility to give back—to the communities we live in, the industry we serve, and the people who make it all possible. Industry engagement and philanthropy are not separate from our mission; they are an extension of it.
As a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), supporting the Veteran community is deeply personal to us. Many of our team members have served, and we carry that shared sense of duty and camaraderie into everything we do. Each year, one of our most meaningful traditions is our Annual Veteran Baskets initiative for patients at the Bay Pines VA Medical Hospital. Our team personally assembles and delivers baskets filled with thoughtful items like puzzles, manicure sets, shampoo/conditioner, notebooks, snacks, combs, playing cards, socks, beanies, blankets, lotion, dental kits, and more. We have also stocked recreation rooms with adaptive games to ensure Veterans with conditions such as blindness or paralysis can participate. It’s a hands-on way for our employees to honor those who have served and to remind them they are not forgotten.
Beyond that, EMKS gives back through donations to Liberty Manor for Vets, Wreaths Across America, Bowlers to Veterans (BVL), and community causes such as Families in Need, school fundraisers, Tip-the-Ear cat rescue, and Birds in Helping Hands. These efforts reflect our belief that philanthropy is not a one-time act, but an ongoing commitment to making a positive impact.
In terms of industry engagement, our leadership and staff actively participate in professional associations, conferences, and mentoring opportunities—sharing insights, supporting peers, and contributing to a stronger, more collaborative federal contracting community.
At the end of the day, philanthropy and engagement are part of who we are. They keep us grounded in purpose, connected to our community, and united as a team behind something larger than ourselves.
Affirmation of Our Values and a Reflection of Our Team
Being recognized as an Elev8 Honoree multiple years in a row is both humbling and deeply meaningful for EMKS. It affirms that the values we live by every day—integrity, collaboration, innovation, and service—are seen and felt by those we work with. It’s a reflection of the hard work, dedication, and heart of every member of our team.
For us, this recognition isn’t just an award—it’s a reminder of the responsibility we carry to continue leading by example. It reinforces our belief that when you focus on people, purpose, and partnership, excellence naturally follows.
Our success is built on the strength of our employees, the trust of our partners, and the confidence of our federal clients. To be recognized year after year shows that our commitment to all three is not just consistent—it’s growing stronger. We continue to invest in our people and community, refine our processes, and innovate in how we deliver value and service.
This honor reminds us that culture matters—that doing the right thing, treating people with respect, and staying true to your mission are what sustain long-term success. For EMKS, the Elev8 recognition is not just a celebration of where we are, but a motivation to keep raising the bar for ourselves and for those we serve.
