Women are now more likely to hold leadership roles within contracting firms and within the government agencies those firms serve. That shift, she has noted, represents a meaningful change from a field that was historically male-dominated. “It’s rewarding to see that women are making significant strides in the government contracting industry, over the years, breaking barriers and more often assuming leadership roles in this industry and within government agencies that we work with,” she has said.
At the same time, Howard has been unwilling to overstate the progress. “It’s still somewhat challenging for women in this industry, and while progress has been made, some biases unfortunately remain to be overcome,” she has acknowledged. That candor reflects a broader sensibility she brings to her work: a preference for clear-eyed assessment over reassuring narratives. It is the same disposition that led her to build HX5 around competitive contracts rather than leaning indefinitely on sole-source opportunities.
Building the Change Internally
Rather than waiting for the industry to shift on its own, Margarita Howard has created the environment she envisions within HX5 itself. Women hold many of the company’s senior management positions, and the leadership team has remained stable over years, with many members logging roughly a decade of service. HX5 now operates in 34 states across 90 government locations, employing over 1,000 people and providing mission support to the Department of Defense and NASA. Howard’s approach to representation inside HX5 is less a statement than a working model. Read this article for additional information.
More about Margarita Howard on https://about.me/margaritahoward