Kimberly deCastro of Wildflower International, Ltd., has been at the helm of the Santa Fe-based company for nearly 30 years. As the founder and CEO, Kimberly deCastro actively promotes the importance of the contributions of colleagues and clients and ensures that gratitude is a foundation of Wildflower International’s company culture. Practicing gratitude in the workplace has been shown to boost morale, increase cooperation, and make employees feel fulfilled in their work. Gratitude initiatives can take many forms, but the most effective programs integrate giving thanks and giving back. In-company gratitude traditions should start with upper management. This sets the tone for employees and encourages them to recognize the importance of being thankful and paying it forward. Some companies publish personalized thank-you notes for employees or offer paid time off for volunteering. Likewise, many companies launch incentive programs that reward employees and customers for their acts of kindness.
Led by founder and CEO Kimberly deCastro, Wildflower, Inc., has provided technology, hardware, and software for government agencies, including the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army. In 1991, Kimberly deCastro launched the company, which has since been awarded several exclusive procurement contracts, including Information Technology Enterprise Solutions-3 Hardware contract (ITES-3H).ITES-3H contracts streamline the procurement process for the U.S. Army and other authorized buyers. These contracts are essential components of the government supply chain, as government agencies sometimes cannot estimate the amount of services or supplies they require within a contact’s term. After a transparent and competitive proposal process, 17 large and small business were awarded ITES-3H contracts that are valid for a set number of years. Awarded companies are authorized to sell a range of hardware and software to Army and Department of Defense programs to meet their technology needs. This includes Unix and non-Unix based servers, storage systems, and workstations. ITES-3H agreements have a $5 billion ceiling and allows for unlimited orders and delivery during the contract’s timeframe.
