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Claudine Adams named 2022 ATHENA Leadership Award Winner

Congratulations are in order! Bravura President & CEO has been recognized for her continuous support of women empowerment, and has earned the winning title of ATHENA International’s 2022 ‘ATHENA Leadership Award.’ As we celebrate International Women’s History Day, we are proud to see our everyday leader receive accolades for all of the time and effort she contributes to those around her. See the video below to share the experience!

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iEra names Claudine Adams in its ‘Top 10 Women Business Founders of 2021′

There is a certain level of graciousness that every female must carry with her as she navigates her chosen profession, especially a woman in a leadership position. And that graciousness must be skirted by a multi-layer of knowledge, enthusiasm, and confidence about the products and services expected by her clients and what her company can deliver. Claudine Adams possesses a profound knowledge of the products and services that the company can provide and the ability to step back and identify any limitations the company may have. She has identified like-minded partners who can support the mission with quality solutions to help gain the highest possible outcome. She is forward-thinking and is not content with the “status quo.”

Claudine has worked hard to perfect her craft, enhance her knowledge of the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) industry, and build her business. She is confident in her abilities and is comfortable in those settings where women are/were not traditionally welcomed. When presented with a finished product or idea, Claudine is encouraging and supportive of her staff, with her signature “very nice” comment. And when the situation requires a firm redirection, Claudine is not afraid to broach the issue head-on. Not timid or retiring in her approach to staff or other industry professionals, she communicates her position and conviction. She is acutely aware of her competitors and the complicated, competitive nature of government contracting. With any measure of success comes some disappointments. Claudine treats each setback as a learning opportunity, not only for herself, but to teach other women business owners the lessons, she has learned. As a casual observation, Claudine possesses a charisma that warrants attention in any setting.

As the CEO of a woman-owned, minority-owned, disadvantaged business, primarily an engineering and technology company, Claudine promotes the advancement of women and is proud to champion the causes that help women succeed in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Claudine recognized that the challenges women face in the workforce were not static but were multi-dimensional, and her approach to supporting women is also multi-dimensional.

“Successful Woman-Owned Business. Specializes in System Engineering, Network Operations , Global Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance solutions for DOD and others.”

Claudine affords contracting opportunities and mentorship to other small, disadvantaged business (SDB), Economically Disadvantaged Woman-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB), and Minority-Owned Businesses (MBE), offering expertise in the areas of Software Engineering, Network Engineering, and Human Resources Consulting and affording women, the opportunity to grow their businesses, providing network and industry related experiences.

Claudine Adams serves as the member Chair of the Northeastern Maryland Technology Council (NMTC). NMTC connects successful technology companies, government, and academic leaders into a collective force to accelerate economic growth, build the STEM Educated Workforce and drive technology and innovation in Maryland. In collaboration with NMTC, Claudine and Bravura donated $5000 scholarships to deserving young ladies graduating from Harford County since 2017, resulting in over $100,000 in scholarship dollars to those who otherwise would not be able to go to college or afford their college of choice.

Claudine’s best advice to others is, “go for your own business despite the risk. Create a plan, and then step out there. You can always go back to working for someone else.”

Bravura was born after Claudine was the President of another small business that she grew from small to large. After “cashing out,” she wanted to start her own thing where she could be free to run things as she saw fit. She wanted to show that a small, woman-owned business could do engineering and services work and do it well. Claudine has a heart for our soldiers, so she worked to maintain force protection services for our troops in Afghanistan. The company name means bravery, and they wanted to support the brave troops overseas.

The most significant achievement for Claudine’s company was being awarded a $539M dollar Army contract to maintain aerostat systems overseas. These systems, located at each forward operating base in Afghanistan and Iraq, were key to assuring the safety of our troops. These systems carried sophisticated detection equipment and were operated 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

“Bravura has made significant improvements to the aerostat technology. These include modernizing the ground control stations to be portable and improving the cyber security posture of the networks utilized by the aerostat. For the days to come, Bravura has plans to expand globally.” IEWL

Congratulations Ms. Adams! For more, visit https://iera-womenleaders.com/Claudine-Adams-Founder-&-CEO-of-Bravura-Information-Technology-Systems-Inc-Top-Women-Business-Founders-of-2021.php

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The ‘Everyday Heroes Award’ recognizes the outstanding educators who promote exemplary dedication to the education of children and youth in Harford County Public Schools; especially those who go above and beyond to make learning rewarding and engaging. Each awardee is nominated by the community, parents, students, and peers. This year the awardees were presented with a certificate, an Everyday Heroes Engraved Pencil Award, and a special gift compliments of this year’s sponsor.

Watch for more!

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At the 2021 ‘Tools for School’ breakfast, President & CEO of Bravura Claudine Adams spoke of Harford County Education Foundation’s many accomplishments, and her rewarding experience acting as a board member for the nonprofit organization. View the video above to hear her speech.

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Claudine Adams Stands for Aberdeen

Congratulations are in order! Our President and CEO, Claudine Adams has risen to the occasion once again, as she has recently been appointed by Aberdeen’s Mayor, Patrick McGrady, to join the Aberdeen Economic Development Commission. The position is truly one to honor, as commission members are dedicated to prioritizing the overall growth and upkeep of their cities.

As a member, Ms. Adams is expected to identify and promote economic development for the city of Aberdeen by supporting and encouraging the growth and retention of existing businesses and industry. Members act as liaisons between the city and other governmental agencies involved with economic development. Duties include reviewing proposed and existing legislative/policy decisions of the Mayor and Council and studying their impact on economic development, recommending financial incentives and/or financing methods that will foster economic advancement, encourage conventions and tourism initiatives that will benefit the city and its surrounding area.

As her first plan of action, Claudine is channeling her efforts towards a new project for the city of Aberdeen that is sure to bring excitement and tourism to the area. As a board member of the Discovery Center Capital Committee, she is contributing to the building of the Discovery Center at Water’s Edge, which according to APGdiscovery.com is a “place where students of all ages experience, create, and play with science and technology. A place where new worlds are discovered, and connections are made.”  

For over 100 years, APG has played a significant role in the development of world-changing technology, and the Discovery Center has plans to add to that legacy. The project is led by the APG Centennial Celebration Association, which hopes that the community welcomes the new center as an upgraded replacement to the US Army Ordnance Museum, that was once housed, and later removed from APG’s property in 2011.  

The project will progress in 3 phases which will cost an approximate 2.7 million dollars to complete; a center with state-of-the-art technology. APGdiscovery.com shares that “exhibits will feature virtual reality and give visitors the opportunity to drive a tank or fly a plane. Other exhibits will explore the history and the future of high-performance computing. In addition to interactive exhibits, the Discovery Center will offer after-school programs, maker spaces, and serve as an anchor for the region’s STEM activities.”  

The implementation of the Discovery Center is currently in phase 1, and as an open advocate for students studying towards careers in the STEM industry, Claudine has already begun her recruitment campaign for other business moguls in the city of Aberdeen who’d be willing to support the cause.  

We are so proud of our President and CEO. She has really made her mark on Aberdeen, and just as the city’s motto goes; she is committed to making our home, your opportunity.

Click here to read more about Aberdeen’s Economic Development Commission.

Read here to find out more about the APG Discovery Center at Water’s Edge, and click here to donate to the city’s vision of attainable STEM resources. 

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Bravura Invests, Inspires, and Achieves

In preparation for the upcoming school year, 501c3 nonprofit Harford County Education Foundation, is committed to providing all students with the critical materials needed to ensure a quality learning experience. In its efforts to ease families and educators of the monetary stresses of back-to-school spending, Harford County Education Foundation has spent the last 18 years assisting upward of 5,000 students each year.

But, as the Covid-19 pandemic spread, it left communities in need more than ever before, and Harford County found their teaching resource inventory low. In response, Harford County Education Foundation launched a string of donation drives, asking members of the community to contribute to the cause of investing, inspiring, and achieving greatness.

The first was a “Stuff the Bus” drive that took place on Saturday August 14th, the tax-free weekend for back-to-school shoppers. Customers of the local Fallston Walmart were greeted by volunteers Joanne of Bravura Information Technology Systems Inc., as well as Bravura colleagues Gregg and Sabrina Mason of Xpeditious Wash Wizards LLC, a mobile cleaning and sanitization company that services Harford County and the surrounding areas. Despite the rainy weather, the volunteer team spent the day in good spirits encouraging patrons to pick up a few extra educational items during their shopping trip, in hopes of them offering up the supplies to the nonprofit.

More recently Bravura has taken a hands-on approach to assisting the community, and had two employees, Jim and Evan deliver boxes of supply to the Harford collection location. While the supply drive is ongoing until September 17, 2021, so far there has been an overwhelmingly positive response, as nearly $30,000 in school supply has been collected and delivered to those in need.

Let’s keep the efforts going! To show your support, please choose from the following donation options:

·       Donate supplies directly by emailing Harford County Education Foundation at  connect@harfordeducation.org.

·       Donate monetarily at www.harfordeducation.org/donations

·       Donate via our charitable registries at Amazon and Target.

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Bravura named ‘Title Sponsor’ for 2021 After d’ Arc Gala

The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region’s most extravagant and influential fundraiser event will be returning to Harford County to claim its reputation once again as the best occasion of the year! Though the 2020 pandemic forced The Arc to hold the event virtually, we are happy to announce that this year’s gala will be an in-person event taking place at Water’s Edge Events Center on October 16, 2021.

The annual After d ’Arc Gala is a widely anticipated affair that seeks to raise funds to support and uplift Harford and Cecil County residents with differing abilities. Every year the gala boasts a spectacular theme that is sure to leave a lasting impression on its attendees. This year’s party theme is “Rio Carnival,” an idea derived from the world renowned “Carnival” festival in Rio, Brazil that uses bright colors, rhythmic music, dance, and tasty foods to encourage community inclusion. Businesses close for the occasion, and upward of 5 million of people of all ages gather across the city for a massive celebration in the streets. This event is famous for being known as the largest party on earth!

Following a year of social distancing, The Arc NCR plans to use this gala as an interactive way to reintroduce our community to one another. Residents and corporations are all welcome to join in on the fun. This year Bravura has taken a more hands on approach, as it has been named the events Title Sponsor. Our President and CEO Claudine Adams values the Harford community and extends herself and her business to help an any way possible, including being a part of this year’s gala planning committee. As of now there are plans for dining, dancing, entertainment, donations, jewelry raffles, and more. If you’re ready to party for a good cause, visit https://arcncr.org/gala-ticket-page/ and buy your tickets today!

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This year’s ATHENA Awards Ceremony was different, as it made its virtual debut via Microsoft Teams. The ATHENA Leadership Award and ATHENA Young Professional Award are presented to individuals who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in their career and assisted the advancement of women in their professional communities. Businesses from the surrounding area, including Platinum sponsor Bravura, contribute towards scholarships and the overall execution of this ceremony, truly exemplifying community service and practicing all that the ATHENA award stands for. This year Harford County is presenting awards for both the ATHENA Leadership Award and the Athena Young Professional Leadership Award.

Finalists for the Athena Leadership Award included:

Dawn Hamilton; VP of Product Management at Freedom Federal Credit Union

Sharon Markley Schreiber; COO at Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore

Rose- Pesce-Rodriguez; Research Chemist at DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory

Robin Tomechko; CEO of Harford Family House

Cynthia Womack-Ross; Principal at Edgewood Elementary School

Finalists for the Young Professional Leadership Award included:

Sara Garbarino; Senior Director of Resource Development at The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region

Kenricka Gardner; VP of Remote Services at APG FCU

Jennifer Holbrook; Senior Large-Account Underwriter at Harford Mutual Insurance Group

Alison Imhoff; SafeHouse Director at SARC

Michelle Williamson; Fourth Grade Educator at Harford County Public Schools

Meaghan Yurek; Communication’s Specialist at Chesapeake Employer’s Insurance Company

Every year the ATHENA Awards hosts a keynote speaker who highlights a theme related to the award. This year Harford County was happy to welcome Rachel Druckenmiller, founder and CEO of Unmuted, a company on a mission to humanize the workplace by building resilient, connected, and compassionate leaders and teams. Druckenmiller centered her speech around the idea of unmuting oneself. She began her speech by describing herself during the start of adulthood; an overachiever and all around “good girl.” She expressed that she prided herself on being driven and successful, but still somehow felt unfulfilled. After years of soul-searching, she realized that up until then she had only been letting people see the put-together version of herself. In times of need Druckenmiller would refrain from asking for help in fear of portraying herself has weak, inadequate, or incompetent. She bottled up all of her feelings, and in doing so fell victim to a painfully silent lifestyle; one that would soon take a major toll on her overall personal growth. After coming to terms with the fact that she had been struggling with self-care, self-doubt, and self-compassion, Druckenmiller now 32 years old decided to dedicate her life to reconnecting with herself. Through the ups and downs of her life experiences she has chosen to advocate for her herself, strengthen relationships, share when she’s struggling, and most importantly express her thoughts and feelings with confidence and courage! Today she uses her journey to teach and encourage others around her to take back control of their lives. She teaches her students how to turn adversities into perfect opportunity to live life more fully and intentionally.

Living intentionally is something that all of the ATHENA award contestants can relate to. Each of these women have shown the community just how full their hearts and minds truly are. With that said, we would like to congratulate the winner of the ATHENA Leadership Award, Robin Tomechko; and the winner of the Young Professional Leadership Award, Sara Garbarino.

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CEO Accepts Position on Comptroller’s Advisory Board

In the state of Maryland committees and advisory boards are authorized by the Governor and or another principal executive department. Each committee or advisory board is tasked with the responsibility of maintaining the details surrounding a specific area of inquiry. Members of such committees and advisory boards are experts in their given realm, and are appointed, recommended, or elected into office. Members are expected to represent their communities by addressing and solving governmental issues fairly and in a timely manner.

In most recent days, our President and CEO, Claudine Adams has expanded her community duties, as she’s agreed to be a voice for us all via her newest role as a member of the Comptroller’s Business Advisory Council. According to marylandtaxes.gov “It is the responsibility of the Comptroller's Office of Maryland to provide the very latest tax and financial information to residents. In addition, it is incumbent upon every member of this agency to adhere to the three R's: treating taxpayers with respect, ensuring that we are responsive to taxpayer needs, and getting results in a timely manner.  It is our mandate to provide a transparency to how taxpayer dollars are spent, and what Marylanders get in return for their hard work. The Comptroller of Maryland and the entire agency stand at the ready to serve the taxpayers, vendors, and tax professionals of Maryland.”

Here Ms. Adams will participate in Comptroller Peter Franchot's quarterly forum and serves as a collective voice of experience on issues that affect Maryland’s economy and business climate. Claudine will use all of her years of business and entrepreneurial knowledge to become a valuable source of ideas for improving the taxpayer services provided by the Comptroller's Office.

Let us all congratulate our leader and wish her success in her newfound role!

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‘Erase the Need’ chance raffle winners

Even during a trying year, the Harford County Education Foundation found a way to keep spirits bright. Being that their priority has always been to ensure the success of the county’s students, the foundation organized an ‘Erase the Need’ chance raffle for supporting members of the community. Willing participants were asked to donate $25 to the cause, in exchange for 10 raffle tickets which would be divvyed into the drawing pots of choice. Winning prizes consisted of 18 gift baskets with individual themes ranging from health basics and wine & spirits, to movie trinkets and cartoon character collectables.

For more information click here.

Bravura was lucky enough to have two of our employees chosen as winners. Joanne Carson was gifted Hollywood Casino’s “Gotta’ Play to Win” basket; a curated package containing a tote bag, beanie, snow scraper, 2 travel mugs, 2 coozies, a t-shirt, a Raven’s football flag, 2 caps, a chip stress ball, a blanket, a fanny pack, and a Green Turtle restaurant gift card, all totaling a value of $180! 

Our second employee, Joseph Vaynerman scored double and took home two baskets. The first was Break thru Beverage’s “Basket of Cheer” which contained a variety of 7 wine bottles, Jim Beam Bourbon, Pinnacle Orange Vodka, 2 individual wine cans, a pair of wine glasses, 2 t-shirts, and a baseball cap, all totaling a value of $200! The second winning basket was Harford County Education Foundation’s “Boys Just Wanna Have Fun” collection which hosted a Power Ranger, Finding Nemo, and Batman t-shirts, a Dory cap, a 101 Dalmatians book, a Batman activity mini backpack, Olaf snow hat and gloves, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle activity lunch box, Pikachu sunglasses, Finding Dory crayons, and a shark backpack, all totaling a $100 value. Let’s send a warm congratulations to this year’s winners!

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Hope Lies Within School Supplies; “Stuff the Bus 2020″

With the first month of school coming to an end, Bravura is elated to hear that Harford County Education and its students have been dedicated to creating yet another successful year, despite the challenges that the global pandemic has caused. With the unknowns of virtual learning already seeming to be a common concern for families; Bravura wanted to do their part for the community and alleviate the burden of back-to-school shopping for students from underprivileged families.

For the past 14 years Harford County has partnered with educational institutions and local business to put on a school supply drive called the ‘Stuff the Bus Campaign.’ Harford County Education staff gather, sort, and then deliver the materials to thousands of students in need. Unfortunately, this year’s COVID-19 constraints have affected the amount of businesses able to participate. As a direct result, the needs of upward 3,000 students have become even greater.

Bravura, being the education advocates that they are, sprung into action and devised a plan to help compensate. The Human Resources team gathered monetary donations from offering employees and made a trip to Walmart. Everything from scissors, glue, markers and calculators; as well as this year’s newest essentials hand sanitizer and face masks, were bought and nicely organized into stylish backpacks.

To keep in compliance with Maryland’s health and safety guidelines, the Aberdeen IronBirds Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium granted Harford County Education permission to use their space as an official packing and distribution location for students. The event ended on September 18th and had a phenomenal turnout. With high hopes of returning to a sense of normalcy, Bravura is already discussing ways to make future involvement a more personal experience for both the staff and the students alike.

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Bravura donates $40,000 towards NMTC’s STEM scholarships for females

Bravura generously awarded 8 deserving young ladies with a total of $40,000 in scholarship funds for the 2020-21 school year. Now in its third year, the NMTC STEM program allowed for female students in Harford and Cecil Counties who are pursuing a four-year college education in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, a chance to win $5,000 to go toward their higher learning. CEO Claudine Adams, who is the leader of a woman-owned, STEM field company, encourages the advancement of women and is proud to acknowledge the following recipients: Rahma Abouelmagd- pursuing biology/organic chemistry, Sandra Ikejiofor- pursuing biology of global health, Samantha Brown- pursuing mathematics, Katerina Loomis- pursuing biochemistry nutrition, Alexis Cook- pursuing physical therapy, Isabella Messick- pursuing veterinary medicine, Isabel Gallagher- pursuing mechanical engineering, and Emily Nguyen- pursuing biological sciences. Bravura congratulates you all and wishes you success in your future endeavors!

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“The Harford Award, presented by the Harford County Chamber of Commerce, recognizes and honors businesses or organizations each year that manifest a strong commitment to the Harford County business community. Recipients of this distinguished honor are chosen through a nomination process focused on business growth, increased employment, service to the community, unique and creative business strategies, technology innovation, support of public and private education, and a drive to enhance Harford County’s business climate (harfordchamber.org).” We are proud to announce that Bravura earned this award under the R&D/Technology division!

On October 17th Harford County hosted their 27thAnnual Harford Awards, an event organized to showcase and commemorate that year’s chosen recipients. This year, the event was themed “The Night Stars Come Out.” The congregation consisted of the community’s most prominent businesses and boasted over 200 attendees. Of those attendees were our own Queenetta Perkins Leflore and Glenn McDonald, who accepted Bravura’s award on behalf of philanthropist, mentor, and CEO Claudine Adams.

Briana Harris | Media Specialist

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Bravura takes home Silver at annual ‘Chip in Fore Kids’ Golf Tournament

2020 has been a year of social distancing, leaving the world of sports practically nonexistent during the past few months. While most have turned to television and radio for their daily fix of sport, golf seems to be an activity that shines a bit of light at the end of this COVID tunnel. Because the nature of golf complies with the most recent guidelines of social distancing—keeping at least six feet of space between you and others, preventing congregation, and avoiding mass gatherings; golf has earned itself a unique position in our current society that provides us all with a familiar bit of normalcy.

On Monday July 27th Bravura jumped at the opportunity to enjoy the summer weather and participated in Harford County Public School’s 5th Annual Chip in Fore Kids Golf Tournament at the Maryland Golf and Country Club. Every year the department of education organizes this day out on the green in order to raise funds for the county’s most vulnerable children in need of basic learning materials. Because of the local companies in the area who too believe in leveling the playing field of schooling, Harford education continues to find yearly success in its ambitions. Again, this year, Bravura chose to join the tournament as a corporate sponsor. But unlike previous years, our team of staff brought home a victory, shooting a 56 and ultimately earning us 2nd place all around! Our award-winning team was led by Craig Malozzi and was strongly supported by Bravura’s management crew Bryant Woodson and Carl Eby. Other staff including Tim Tarvin, Wayne Dorsey, Bernard McQuarrie, and Brian Rosen also played and helped give us a leg up over the competition. Trophies and bragging rights are fun, but the true win is in knowing how much we’ve contributed to a child’s academic achievements.

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President & CEO of Bravura Information Technology Systems Inc. sits down with her alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania to discuss her career path and successes following her time there as a psychology major.  Click the link above for the full feature.

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A helping hand during a pandemic

With COVID-19 taking the nation by storm, many school districts are resulting to at-home virtual learning, as institutions have been forced to close their doors for the remainder of the academic year. Harford County public schools have endured the same fate, and have adopted an out-of-school curriculum stocked with a parent’s guide to at home teaching, a student’s daily schedule, and a list of additional resources including mental health support, duty-free lunch sites, and Wi-Fi hotspots at participating locations.

Over the years Bravura has been on the frontline of education, contributing as an annual sponsor to the Harford County Education Foundation. Bravura prides itself on being an advocate for creating equal opportunity for all students in the community. Unfortunately for some students, during this crisis, ‘equal opportunity’ has been compromised due to a lack of computers and supporting materials in the household. To circumvent the issue, Bravura has taken the initiative to lend a helping hand to the families of Harford county students in need!

This week Bravura employees collected 25 Dell laptop computers, wireless mice, and mouse pads for donation. The supplies are expected to be distributed to the families in the upcoming weeks using social distancing and safety protocol.