A year ago today, I was excited and a bit nervous preparing for the all-hands call that would announce me as President and CEO at Pluribus Digital, then Solution Technology Systems, Inc. (STSI). We were excited to become woman owned. We were motivated with new ideas while continuing the solid legacy of our company. We were inspired to have a direct impact on important government services. I was excited to begin a new chapter. I had little idea of what was coming.

The moment of that all-hands announcement was also the moment that life began to change out from under us. In the minutes leading up to that meeting, I was fielding calls and texts from my middle schooler about another announcement — that school would go virtual “for a month.” The WHO officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic the day before. Our management team was moving quickly to ensure all our employees could be safe and working fully remote by the coming Monday. And by the way, we were ramping up a new major contract at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).

As a full-time working mom of two middle schoolers, my world as a parent also pivoted. Our new normal is burpees in our 2nd floor hallway for PE class while logged into a work video call. We’ve grown weary of socially distancing, zoom calls, the work-home-school merging, COVID tests, symptom checklists, and too often, sick or lost loved ones.

And yet, I remain thankful for all that we have accomplished at Pluribus Digital despite the challenges of 2020.

• We rebranded our company from STSI to Pluribus Digital, doubling down on the guiding principles that frame our behaviors and decisions.
• We saw continued growth, new contract vehicles (CIO-SP3), new partnerships (8(a) Joint Venture), and new customer agencies (Small Business Administration).
• We expanded our headquarters team with a strategic focus on talent and employee engagement.
• We adjusted to fully remote employee engagement with a Skill Up series, Study Office Hours, Lunch n’ Learns, Slack Questions of the Day, Fireside Chats with community members, and a virtual holiday party.

Quarantine has blurred work and life. I enjoy being home with my husband and kids, but it has been a lot of new territory and context switching. My husband and I were also becoming co-workers for the first time. Our neighbors will tell you that we walked a few million miles together in the last year talking about the company and the kids. Without much choice in the matter, we encouraged independent virtual learning with our middle schoolers. And while it stretched us to our fullest capacity, not all parents (including our own employees) had this convenience. At the end of each day we managed our grief and stress with gratitude and, let’s be honest, Netflix.

Throughout this year it was also important to me that our team focused on fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment. Horrific events in the summer of 2020 shed renewed light on systemic racism. I recently outlined our corporate commitment with a roadmap to social justice and holding ourselves accountable in terms of:

• Who we hire, what we pay them, and how we invest in their growth (e.g., recruit from sources that reflect a diverse population, avoid bias in interviews, evaluate pay equity, etc.)
• Which resources we provide to our employees to foster a welcoming, supportive environment where all people can thrive
• How we support communities that are critical networks for underrepresented people to get into, and stay in, tech
• Work with customers that are part of the solution, and are aligned with our values as an organization
• How we use our platform to raise issues and advocate for justice, contribute philanthropically, and set the expectation to model inclusion with all leaders in the organization

Looking toward my second year, I’m excited to invest in continued growth. I am encouraged by the vaccine distribution schedule and the promise it holds for 2021. We will continue leaning into digital services and take every opportunity — large or small — to nudge government technology forward, improving the experience of citizens and stakeholders.

We remain focused on nurturing a calm culture while supporting critical missions. We continue to invest in and support our employees. Remote work will largely stay at our company and our federal clients — though I also hope to meet most of our employees in person for the first time (36% of which were hired in the last year alone).

Taking or leaving the last year, I personally remain excited and motivated to expand what we’re doing at Pluribus, and l will never again underestimate the sight of my kids’ school bus driving away.