News

Radcliff Defense Contractor to Create 75+ New Jobs

December 3, 2020 By krda

North South Consulting Group (NSCG) announced at least 75 new local jobs in conjunction with contracts the company recently won in support of missions at Fort Knox, adding nearly $4 million in annual payroll to the regional economy.

Radcliff Mayor JJ Duvall called the announcement welcome news in these challenging economic times and further proof of the important role Fort Knox has in the resiliency of our regional economy.

“We are proud of our home-grown defense contractor. North South Consulting Group is providing good-paying jobs and added spending power to a region that is fighting hard to weather this economic storm created by COVID-19,” said Duvall. “This is yet another example of the critical role Fort Knox has in our regional economy.”

The contracts NSCG was awarded are in support of the Army’s recruiting and marketing efforts and include establishing a call center at the company’s headquarters in Radcliff. NSCG President and CEO Dr. Krista Stevens said that particular contract was previously supported out of Ohio, New Jersey and Texas.

“Now when individuals call a toll-free number listed on Army recruiting and marketing materials, those calls are routed to a NSCG call center team member in Radcliff who provides the caller with information and determines whether or not they should be referred on in the recruitment process,” said Stevens.

In addition to the call center operations, NSCG will staff Army Recruiting Command’s Virtual Recruiting Center on Fort Knox, engaging potential recruits and refining leads before they are referred to a recruiter at the local level. The virtual recruiting team also monitors the Army’s social media presence throughout the country and when appropriate responds to comments on the Army’s social media channels.

Stevens, who established NSCG in 2012 and opened the company’s Radcliff headquarters in 2019 with her husband Chase, said she was thrilled to bring this work to the Greater Fort Knox Region. She touted the local workforce’s connection to Fort Knox missions that helped make NSCG especially competitive for the work.

“Our community is full of talented people, many with direct experience in Army recruiting, making our support to the Army even stronger,” said Stevens. “We couldn’t be more excited to help support the Army and grow the local economy.”

Stevens, herself an Army Veteran and former Army Civilian employee, said these contracts often require a large percentage of the workforce to be military Veterans and that NSCG prides itself on hiring Veterans and teaming with other Veteran-owned businesses.

For these contracts, Stevens is teamed with Poly A & M, a woman owned business under the leadership of Janelle Lei Sam who, in October, opened her company headquarters in Radcliff, as well as Horizon Strategies which is under the leadership of retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Allen Batschelet and retired U.S. Army Col. Bill Harmon.

As the former Commanding General of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, MG Batschelet expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity to support the recruiting force he once led. “I’m grateful that Krista and the team at NSCG asked Horizon Strategies to join the contract team for these important services in support of Army recruiting,” said Batschelet. “I have a great fondness for Army Recruiting and the Fort Knox community. We look forward to bringing our firm’s expertise to bear on this critical work.”

Both Stevens and Mayor Duvall also touted the support of the Knox Regional Development Alliance (KRDA) in this recent announcement and NSCG’s overall success.

“General Iacocca was instrumental in helping Krista and her team locate here. It’s great to see the company grow and succeed because when they succeed our community succeeds,” said Duvall. “KRDA is an invaluable resource to our community.”

Stevens echoed Duvall’s comments.

“General Iacocca helped us find a location and even recommended who to talk to about furnishings. He provided us with advice and consultancy on how we could best demonstrate value. He helped us develop relationships on and off post. I cannot say enough about the role KRDA has played in our success,” said Stevens.

When asked, KRDA CEO retired Brig. Gen. Jim Iacocca was quick to point to Stevens’ talented team and the supportive community.

“The credit goes to Krista, the NSCG team and this incredibly supportive community,” said Iacocca. “KRDA is committed to helping defense contractors grow their business, make our regional economy stronger and most importantly support Fort Knox missions.”

Compatible Use Planning Makes for Good Neighbors

November 5, 2020 By krda

As the President and CEO of the Knox Regional Development Alliance (KRDA), my work centers on our mission to promote and protect Fort Knox to increase its economic impact. While that means we regularly showcase what sets Fort Knox apart from other installations, our team also spends a great deal of time working with community leaders to make sure we do all we can to support the post to be the best neighbor. Why? First and foremost because it’s the right thing to do. Additionally, community support matters when the Department of Defense (DOD) considers retaining missions, growing existing missions or adding new missions.

The Threat of Encroachment

Over my last three years on the job, I’ve learned that being a good neighbor is a multifaceted effort. One of, if not the most important thing any defense community can do is proactively work to limit encroachment. DOD considers encroachment any external influences that negatively impact training. Fort Knox is known for its world-class training areas and ranges. Many people may not realize it, but Fort Knox’s ranges and training areas are among the most utilized in the Army, in part because of the lack of encroachment.

Yano Range, the only Digital Air/Ground Integration Range east of the Rockies when complete in 2023

Thanks to a $52 million investment, Fort Knox will also soon have a Digital Air/Ground Integration Range or DAGIR, one of only two in the Army and the only one east of the Rockies. With the DAGIR, aviation units and ground forces will be able to simultaneously train and operate in the same simulated battle space. When completed in 2023, the DAGIR will bring increased unit training to Fort Knox as well as increased noise and air traffic. All the more reason, that as a community we work closely with our installation partners to mitigate potential encroachment challenges.

Compatible Use Planning

Successful encroachment mitigation efforts require a collaborative approach and a close working relationship between the installation and the community. In years past, communities and installations would conduct Joint Land Use Studies (JLUS). Now it is called Compatible Use Planning (CUP). The name change is relevant because JLUS was largely focused on land use and land development which is obviously critically important, but there are other factors that impact encroachment including noise pollution, light pollution, frequency spectrum encroachment, airspace restrictions and even climate change impacts. All can negatively impact training. The CUP takes those and other encroachment factors into consideration providing for a more comprehensive study and resulting plan.

Sometimes communities bring in outside consultants to do this work, but our region is blessed with a great area development organization, the Lincoln Trail Area Development District (LTADD). The LTADD received grant funding from the DOD’s Office of Economic Adjustment to undertake our current CUP study. Launched in 2019, the LTADD is working with Fort Knox leaders, local and state officials and community stakeholders, like KRDA, to closely evaluate population changes, planning and zoning ordinances, as well as current and planned commercial and residential development.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the LTADD team held public meetings to collect input on public concerns and raise awareness about Fort Knox’s $2.6 billion annual economic impact, current training on post and additional training that will be added once the DAGIR is complete. Throughout the process, Fort Knox leaders have emphasized that it is truly a partnership and being a good neighbor goes both ways. The installation has stressed the importance of hearing what’s on the mind of the public and promoting collaboration among all parties.

Identifying Best Practices

Kentucky 313 Corridor zoned to limit residential lot sizes to 10 acres

When complete, the study will yield a proposed implementation plan that aims to ensure local and regional sustainability between Fort Knox and its neighboring civilian communities. In building the plan, the LTADD is looking at compatibility tools and best practices both locally and throughout the DOD. One of the best examples happens to be right in our backyard where one county government has zoned land adjacent to Fort Knox’s southern boundary. The zoning limits residential lot sizes to 10 acres, preventing any dense, large-scale residential development.

Another best practice is the use of the Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB) Program. ACUB allows installations to work with partners to encumber off-post land to protect habitat, prevent development and buffer training without the Army having to acquire any new land. Fort Knox and the LTADD previously used ACUB to preserve 462 acres. Also, Fort A.P. Hill, just south of Fredericksburg, Virginia has leveraged ACUB to protect more than 14,000 acres through the use of conservation easements, successfully buffering the installation from the significant population growth and urbanization that has taken place between Washington D.C. and Richmond, Virginia.^[1]

While tools like ACUB are valuable, one of the most common best practices is a concerted and proactive communications and outreach effort specific to encroachment. This can include identifying primary points of contact in the community and on post who citizens can contact if they have questions or concerns. In fact, many Naval Air Stations actually have dedicated community planning liaison officers who regularly engage community partners on potential encroachment issues and solutions.

These best practices just begin to scratch the surface of what’s available to defense communities for compatible use planning. While it is a massive undertaking, the CUP study is really only the beginning. Putting the plan into action, carrying out the recommendations and undertaking a sustained effort to address issues and opportunities related to encroachment, ensures an installation and its surrounding defense communities can grow and prosper together. To me, that epitomizes what it means to be a good neighbor.

[1] Source

Welcome Home V Corps

October 20, 2020 By krda

Source: The News-Enterprise

Hundreds of soldiers were ceremoniously welcomed to Fort Knox Friday morning as the V Corps’ historic colors were once again flown. Originally deactivated in Wiesbaden, Germany in 2013, the senior-level command has been reactivated on Fort Knox and is housed in the Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Maude Complex.

The reactivation provides the U.S. European Command and U.S. Army Europe with a three-star headquarters to “conduct operational planning, execute mission command over allocated and assigned forces and promote interoperability,” V Corps commanding general Lt. Gen. John Kolasheski said during Friday’s ceremony.

Kolasheski said Friday’s ceremony had personal significance for him.

“This is a bit surreal for me personally as almost 31 years to the day, I started my military career at Fort Knox as a young armor officer,” he said.

The V Corps is made up of over 600 soldiers, a portion of which are expected to be stationed at the Forward Command Post in Poznan, Poland on a rotational basis.

The V Corps initially was activated in 1918 and used during World War I to fight in France. The unit later fought in World War II during the D-Day invasion and liberation of Europe. Later, the unit defended western Europe during the Cold War, fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and was overall used to maintain multinational partnerships in Europe.

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell also spoke during Friday’s ceremony. During his remarks, McConnell touted the efforts of the Knox Regional Development Alliance in helping to make the V Corps’ new home on Fort Knox a reality.

“Through their dedication, Kentucky has earned a reputation as one of the most military-friendly states in our country,” he said.

Gov. Andy Beshear was invited to the ceremony but could not attend because he currently is quarantined at home with his family after a member of his security detail tested positive for COVID-19. A statement from Beshear was read during the ceremony.

Beshear estimated the V Corps will bring in approximately $58 million in new payroll along with $96 million in additional consumer expenditures.

“Here in Kentucky, these soldiers and their families – as part of Team Kentucky – will have a very positive effect on the local community through their values, service and leadership,” a portion of Beshear’s statement read.

Energy Resilience Matters

August 20, 2020 By krda

Since my retirement from the Army in December 2017, I have had the privilege of leading the Knox Regional Development Alliance (KRDA) - a community-based non-profit organization with a mission of protecting and promoting Fort Knox to increase its economic impact. Each and every day our team works to showcase the many attributes that make Fort Knox a premier military installation with a first-class defense community. With nearly three years as KRDA’s CEO under my belt, I’ve seen firsthand how factors like energy resilience set installations and defense communities apart from others.

Energy Resilience Matters. The Department of Defense (DOD) is reliant on civilian electrical grids to power installations, which are susceptible to weather events and physical or cyber attacks. The ability of an installation to limit its reliance on the civilian network or completely generate its own power provides for continuity of operations. This resilience can come in the form of alternate forms of energy, the installation being a micro grid of the larger electrical grid, or a combination of the two. The Navy at Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport has partnered with local energy providers to establish a solar system; micro grids have been used at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts and Subbase New London in Connecticut and a few other places. While these are steps in the right direction, the unique capabilities at Fort Knox make it the best energy program in all of DOD.

Defining Energy Resilience. Energy security and energy resilience are sometimes used interchangeably, but there is a difference. Energy security is ensuring an installation has reliable, protected access to energy in sufficient quantities to meet the needs of its various missions. Energy resilience takes it a step further ensuring that in the event of disruptions in commercial energy services, the installation can continue to provide reliable sufficient energy for its missions. Those potential disruptions could be natural or man-made (by bad actors). In Fort Knox’s case, it was a natural disruption - a 2009 ice storm that left the installation without power for several days - that fueled the post’s leadership toward energy independence.

Becoming an Energy Island. Like several other military installations, Fort Knox is on its own microgrid. While it is still connected and powered by the main grid, being on a separate microgrid allows the installation to operate as a separate energy island. Having alternative energy sources to fuel the microgrid in the event of the disruption is what determines resiliency and sets Fort Knox apart from all others. Early guidance required that Army installations be capable of powering critical missions for a minimum of 14 days in the event of a disruption; current guidance leaves it to the discretion of the post commanding general; Fort Knox is working towards one year.

While several installations are working toward the 14-day standard, few have realized that capability like Fort Knox has. Thanks to support from the Kentucky Congressional Delegation, Fort Knox is able to tap into the rich natural gas reserves on the installation to help fuel its back-up generators, and on at least two occasions, the installation has demonstrated its ability to operate completely independent from its commercial power provider. The micro grid, the ability to generate its own power, extensive use of geothermal heating and cooling and real-time facility monitoring truly puts Fort Knox in a class all by itself.

Fort Knox’s energy program is critical for the many missions taking place that have significant information technology needs. The installation’s energy independence also makes Fort Knox an ideal location for other missions with large data centers. Additionally, when there is a power disruption, the commercial energy providers can focus on critical needs outside the gate knowing Fort Knox is up and running. That makes for a good neighbor and Fort Knox couldn’t be a better one.

Next time, I’ll share more on how our community is being a good neighbor to Fort Knox. Until then here are some helpful links on the subject of energy resilience.

New Support Available for Military Spouses Seeking Employment in the Greater Knox Region

August 6, 2020 By krda

Soldiers sacrifice much for their country, but often overlooked is the sacrifice their families also make in the process. As new assignments require Soldiers to relocate, military spouses have a hard time maintaining a stable career. A recent survey found that military spouses have an unemployment rate almost four times higher than the national average, with nearly 80 percent of those surveyed stating they believe their status as a military spouse has had a negative impact on their career. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the majority of jobs are found through networking which puts relocated military spouses at a disadvantage as they seek employment compared to those with deeper roots in the community.

Just this past fall, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper asked governors and communities to expand assistance to military spouses. The Greater Fort Knox Region is doing just that. The Knox Regional Development Alliance in partnership with the Kentucky Career Centers – Lincoln Trail (KCC-LT), the Lincoln Trail Workforce Development Board (LTWDB) and Fort Knox, is excited to announce a new model of support designed to expand assistance to current and incoming military spouses seeking employment in our communities. This comprehensive, first-of-its-kind program is designed to help military spouses find valuable employment while connecting them with a strong network of professional contacts. It is our belief that through this new program we will fill gaps in regional employment, boost local revenue and create a heightened sense of community for our military families. As 635 Soldiers and their families move to our region this fall with the activation of the Army’s new V Corps, it is our hope that this program will help make the transition easier for these military spouses and the countless others who call Fort Knox home.

Current and incoming military spouses interested in the program can get started by visiting Greaterfortknox.com/jobs and answering a simple eight-question career survey outlining work history and career goals. That questionnaire is then forwarded to KCC-LT where participants will be matched with a professional career coach who is ready to evaluate their needs and begin providing no-cost employment support.

Experienced career coaches will aid military spouses in a variety of ways, such as sharing job leads, assisting with resumes and cover letter writing and connecting individuals to job training and licensing courses. With four Career Center locations throughout the region, as well as an interactive website complete with online training videos, access to support is available no matter where in the area military families choose to settle.

The final component of the new program addresses the importance of networking. In this step, military spouses will be matched with a volunteer community connector, who can help them build a professional network and expand their base of regional contacts. With this additional step, it is our hope that qualified military spouses new to the area will be given the same opportunities as those of us who are more established in our communities.

The details of the new model have been shared with Army Human Resources Command officials who have agreed to include the resource on military orders for any new Soldiers stationed at Fort Knox. This means military spouses can benefit from the assistance program before they arrive. We believe early access to this support will make military families’ transition to our communities go more smoothly and get them excited to be a part of our vibrant and caring region.

As we began drafting this model and reaching out to local citizens and organizations, we were met with an overwhelmingly positive response. When we contacted Cathy Doolin, Abound Credit Union, about pairing her up with a military spouse, her response exemplified this community. “I am so excited about this program and am looking forward to meeting with this lady, creating relationships and life long connections,” she said.

In 2018 the Greater Fort Knox Region was named a Great American Defense Community by the Association of Defense Communities, and we continue to live up to that title. We are a community dedicated to supporting each other, as well as the wonderful individuals and their families stationed at Fort Knox. We hope our military spouse assistance program demonstrates our values to those arriving in the area, and that this model may eventually become a new normal for military communities across the country.

Brig. Gen. (Ret) Jim Iacocca is the President and CEO and Beth Avey is the Vice President of the Knox Regional Development Alliance, a regional economic development agency committed to promoting and protecting Fort Knox. Brig. Gen. (Ret) Iacocca and Avey can be reached at jim@growknox.org and beth@growknox.org.

KRDA partnership offers job network for newcomers

July 31, 2020 By krda

Source: The News-Enterprise

The Knox Regional Development Alliance has entered a partnership with the state’s regional employment office to help military spouses discover job opportunities.

Described by KRDA as “a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive model in partnership,” the organization will be working with Kentucky Career Centers–Lincoln Trail along with the Lincoln Trail Workforce Development Board and Fort Knox.

While the post frequently has arrivals and departures of staff, its currently experiencing an influx of families relocating as part of the Army’s decision to establish its new V Corps headquarters at Fort Knox. More than 2,000 newcomers are expected as soldiers and others arrive with their families.

“Statistics say that upwards of 70 percent of job opportunities don’t come from a job board but rather from professional relationships that military spouses, being new to the community, typically don’t have,” KRDA CEO Jim Iacocca said. “We are tapping into our caring, supportive community to help our military spouses connect with organizations and people who may open the door to a new employment opportunity.”

Through this job partnership, the Career Center will oversee a three-step process which begins with a short questionnaire. From there, information gathered helps match participants with an experienced KCC-LT professional who will help with job search and training at no cost.

“Whether it’s training, career workshops or help finding employment, our career center team provides a one-stop-shop for any employment or training needs,” said Sherry Johnson of the Workforce Development Board, which oversees the KCC-LT. “Additionally, military spouses will be matched with a community connector who will help them grow their professional network, which can often open the door to new professional opportunities.”

KRDA has been involved in recruitment of the volunteer community connectors who will provide this added support and personalized. Iacocca, a retired Army brigadier general, said the community response was enthusiastic.

“As expected, the community response was immediate and overwhelming and we couldn’t be more grateful,” he said.

Iacocca shared details of the model with Army Human Resources Command officials who agreed to include the resource on military orders of any soldier coming to Fort Knox.

“This allows military spouses to access this support even before they arrive,” Iacocca said. “We appreciate HRC’s support as we work to be proactive in our support to military families.”

Melinda Roberts, Fort Knox’s chief of Army Community Services, praised the community for partnering with Fort Knox ACS to develop this comprehensive model of support to help military spouses find employment.

“We always are looking for new and innovative ways to tap into community resources and think this new model could become an Army best practice,” Roberts said in a statement. “We are fortunate to have great community partners who want to help us do the very best we can for our Army families.”

Iacocca encouraged all military spouses looking for employment or training opportunities to go to greaterfortknox.com/jobs to learn more and tap into these resources.

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