Lexington Park, Md. - Leadership is a lifelong process where you constantly learn new skills and use those skills when needed to achieve the best results.
Recently, a group of eight talented leaders from across AVIAN completed the 12-month-long AVIAN Leadership Development Program (ALDP), where they had the opportunity to add a variety of tools to their toolkits for the future.
“ALDP provided resources for being a leader in the corporate world along with insight on the difficulties of growing a business,” said Jacob Lange, a Senior Program Analyst and graduating member of ALDP Cohort 3. “I am a believer that we should never stop learning and continuously look for opportunities to grow our leadership skills. It should be a skill that is always practiced and improved upon no matter where you are within your career. This program helped me continue to do just that and grow as a leader. The one lesson, which has stood out the most for me and what I will continue to practice each day is, ‘I will not allow someone else’s monkey [task] to become my monkey [task]’.”
In 2021, AVIAN introduced ALDP for aspiring leaders and graduated its first cohort class in the spring of 2022 and the second cohort in spring of 2023. The program sets foundational knowledge, tools, and understanding for employees to master and apply their leadership skills as they grow in their careers.
Students in the third ALDP cohort were selected from AVIAN's three market sectors and corporate staff. The eight graduates who recently completed their 12-month leadership studies curriculum are Julia Ehnen, Ian Kotch, Kaitlin Wicker, Joy Shrum, Jacob Lange, Ruth Allen, Lindsay Wooleyhand, and Tracie Tepke.
“Cohort 3 is an incredible group of leaders,” said Tara Strickland, Vice President of Employee Experience at AVIAN. “This group included teammates from various career fields and a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives. This provided them with the opportunity to learn how best to work as a team despite difference and how to bring together thoughts for a very though-provoking capstone presentation. I’m proud of what this cohort accomplished and am excited to see what they do next.”
During their time in the program, students gained valuable insights into leadership practices across business areas such as finance, human resources, operations, ethics, business development, and communications. They heard from in-house speakers and external leadership experts in workshops, panel discussions, and presentation settings.
For their capstone project, Cohort 3 focused on a critical business development goal: laying a robust foundation for brand awareness and stakeholder consideration in a new market. The expansion into adjacent markets represents a pivotal growth opportunity. However, success in new territories requires more than just presence; it demands a deliberate and strategic introduction of the AVIAN brand. The preparatory work of Cohort 3 is essential as it sets the stage for all future operations and interactions in these markets, ensuring AVIAN is not just seen but are also preferred and trusted.
Although ALDP does not guarantee specific career advancement upon completion, several members of the 2023-24 cohort advanced their leadership influence during the program year.
“The AVIAN Leadership Development Program offers more than just keys to good leadership; it provides insight to corporate level challenges and the work that goes into tackling them,” said Kaitlin Wicker, Sr. Strategic Communications Specialist and ALDP Cohort 3 member. “It provides the opportunity for real-world corporate decision-making, which is valuable for leaders of all levels, but especially those in an ESOP [employee-owned] company.”
To continue this great program and allow others within AVIAN the opportunity to grow their leadership skills, AVIAN launched the 2024-25 class of ALDP (Cohort 4) on May 16th. That cohort will run from May 2024 through May of 2025.
About AVIAN, LLC
AVIAN (*ae-v-yin*) is an employee-owned government services small business headquartered in Lexington Park, Maryland, with annual revenues exceeding $68 million.
We are resourceful, responsive, and reachable for our clients in program, financial, and logistics management; engineering and systems engineering; test and evaluation of manned and unmanned aerial, surface, and sub-surface systems; workforce development and training; and communication strategy and graphic design.
Our philosophy is simple. We care for our employees. Our employees care for our customers. Our customers care to return. Simply put, we take care of each other.
For more information, visit www.avian.com
