What HX5’s Veteran-Owned Status Means for Hiring

HX5 carries designations as both a service-disabled veteran-owned and women-owned small business, labels that Margarita Howard’s background as CEO help explain. For veterans considering a move into government contracting, those designations can signal something specific: leadership that understands military culture firsthand rather than secondhand.

Howard’s own service in the Air Force, followed by advanced degrees and defense industry work supporting the Tricare health program, put her on a path that eventually led to running HX5. That trajectory offers a visible example for veterans wondering what a long-term career in defense contracting might look like beyond an initial fellowship or entry-level role.

Signaling Through Leadership

Since 2021, HX5 has hosted eight fellows through the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program, maintaining two placements every year regardless of immediate staffing needs. Howard has framed that consistency as a reflection of company values rather than a response to short-term hiring pressure, something easier to sustain when leadership itself has lived through the transition process.

The company supports Department of Defense and NASA missions across more than 20 states, work that often requires clearances and familiarity with government operations that veterans frequently already possess. Howard has pointed out that experience gained inside these federal programs differs meaningfully from commercial work, making veteran hires a natural fit for many HX5 roles.

The service-disabled veteran-owned designation also opens doors in federal contracting that go beyond hiring optics, since certain contract set-asides favor firms with that status. Howard has said the designation carries added responsibility, given that clients and fellow veterans alike expect the label to reflect a genuine, lived commitment rather than a box checked for eligibility purposes.

For a company of roughly 1,000 employees, sustained veteran hiring backed by leadership that shares that background carries weight beyond the numbers. Margarita Howard’s position atop HX5 demonstrates that military service and executive leadership are not separate tracks, but can build directly on one another. Refer to this article to learn more.

Find more information about Margarita Howard on https://www.f6s.com/member/margarita-howard