M Squared Strategies held its fifth annual Refounders Day extravaganza Thursday April 5, 2012, at the Science Club in Dupont Circle.  Current employees as well as former employees and AMPs were on hand to celebrate. It has actually been just four years since President/CEO Kendall Lott took the helm of our dynamic, ever evolving company. At that time, M Squared Strategies was not the unified, cohesive entity that it is today. But Kendall vowed in 2008 to bring the company together and build true team spirit. Looking around at the animated conversation and bonhomie of this year’s party (which was organized by Alessandra Colia), it was clear that he has succeeded.

In keeping with tradition, M Squared Strategies fed more than just our extended family at the annual Holiday Party. For each plate that was served, $30.00 was donated to Feeding America, whose mission is to feed America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks.

This year’s party was held in the mirrored banquet hall of the Sea Catch Restaurant & Raw Bar in Georgetown. In attendance were current and past M Squared Strategies staff members, Applied Management Professionals, friends, colleagues and corporate partners. Guests enjoyed an evening of great food, fellowship, and Brazilian jazz provided by our very own office manager’s band, Rio Garage.

Special thanks to Selena Hunn and Alessandra Colia for organizing this year’s highly successful extravaganza!

The All Hands Meeting has been tentatively scheduled for February 12, 2012, in the Grange Conference Room at headquarters. Keep an eye out for the official schedule.

Twice a year, the entire M Squared company meets under one roof for a face-to-face meeting to collaborate on corporate improvements, receive company updates, and establish a common understanding about the future direction of the company. The Interim All Hands Meeting (IAHM) in August had a packed agenda and was tremendously successful. The new FSL team took over the duties of planning and leading the IAHM and brought a fresh style to this meeting. Alan Chvotkin of the Professional Services Council kicked off the meeting by providing a briefing on the market and policy within the consulting industry. The IAHM 2011 also included updates on M Squared’s corporate marketing from Whitney Starring, news on Deltek and the rollout of new on-boarding programming and process from Andrew MacDonald, and M Squared’s strategic planning efforts by Sarah Nurse. In addition, the 10 Applied Management Professionals presented their corporate projects, demonstrating their added value to the company beyond client work over the summer in the areas of corporate marketing, business development, and corporate giving. Switching gears away from presentations, the FSL team led a pair of activities to capture feedback and encourage group interaction to help improve the on-boarding process for new hires through a new on-boarding checklist and corporate identity quiz. Finally, Kendall Lott concluded the meeting by recognizing a few employees for their hard work and contributions to the company: Ed Adelman, Andrew MacDonald, Andrew Slawter, Whitney Starring, Sarah Nurse, Jeremy Nurse, Brenda Maynor, and Mary Flannery.

The annual Interim All Hands Meeting is an all staff (including our AMPs!) meeting for us to come together for a mid-year touch-base. It is also an opportunity to meet and welcome new employees. This mandatory meeting will take place August 4, in the Grange Conference Room at headquarters, starting at 3pm. The meeting will be followed by an optional happy hour. We look forward to seeing everyone!

The Interim All Hands Meeting has been tentatively scheduled for July 14 in the Grange Conference Room at headquarters. Keep an eye out for the official schedule.

Thanks to all who attended our 4th annual Refounders Day Celebration! The night commemorated the acquisition and re-founding of M Squared Strategies on April 1, 2008. We celebrated at Dirty Martini, DC’s newest upscale resto-lounge, and marked the beginning of our fourth year of a new direction and renewed dedication to public service. Our President Kendall spoke to share some accomplishments and emphasize the celebration of our M Squared Strategies identity. 2011 Quarter 1 recognitions and bonuses were awarded to: Laurel Wemhoff for her impressive work and relationship building with her prime and clients; Andrew Slawter for his value as an ASD team member; and Jen Mroczek for her strides with the Facilitation Service Line, ITRM project lead work, and new contract support opportunities at HHS. The M Squared Strategies staff also took the time to recognize Kendall for his dedication by presenting him with a photo album. The pictures commemorated years of hard work, fun events, and impressive accomplishments; we are all looking forward to many Refounders Day Celebrations to come!

This year’s annual All Hands Meeting was a great success! The day was filled with interactions and presentations on the AMP Program, the Facilitation Service Line, business development, human resources, and corporate marketing including the unveiling of the new website. In addition, Kendall Lott reviewed our past year’s performances and laid out 2011 targets. We also had the Delivery Showcase, which gave teams the opportunity to hear from each other on the work they are doing and fostered cross contract knowledge sharing; Carl provided us with a special performance which was the hit of the day! “I felt this year was informative and entertaining,” one employee shared. Stay tuned for information regarding our Interim All Hands Meeting in August.

Our Annual All Hands Meeting (AHM) will take place at M Squared headquarters on President’s Day, February 21. An all-day meeting with a light breakfast and catered lunch served, this year’s AHM will afford us a valuable opportunity to come together as a company to discuss important topics including our corporate maturity, strategic planning and revenue generation. Sarah Nurse and Alessandra Colia, the 2011 AHM coordinators, look forward to celebrating the productive meeting with a company-wide happy hour immediately following the AHM.

M Squared Strategies held the Annual Holiday Party on Sunday, December 5. Guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres with entertainment by a jazz quartet at The Darlington House before traveling to The Dupont Hotel for dinner. Sarah Nurse and Jen Mroczek, the holiday party coordinators, would like to thank all of our colleagues and guests for coming and for making the party a great success!

In the spirit of the holiday season, M Squared gave back to the larger DC community with a $2,500 donation to Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Feeding America’s network of over 200,000 local food banks include the Capital Area Food Bank, located in NE Washington, DC. Just $25 can feed a family of four for two whole weeks. M Squared is happy to be able to help and encourages everyone to consider what they can do for the community this New Year.

Click here to view a photo gallery from the party.