DB Consulting's Gerald Boyd adds jobs through solid success for a decade
Dr. Boyd and his son, one of the 12th annual 50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology, founded the company in 2000. The anniversary also celebrated DB's graduation from the 8(a) small business contracting program.
Rated Level 2 on the Capability Maturity Model Integration scale used by the federal government, DB's clients include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Dept. of Defense, Dept. of Health and Human Services and Dept. of Housing and Urban Development as one of the largest African-American IT providers.
DB Consulting Group is the prime contractor responsible for the development of NOAA’s first enterprise system dedicated to the archival and dissemination of NOAA’s environmental data made available to all user communities via the internet that includes many scientific communities that include climate, atmospheric, and ocean science.
The firm is in the 4th year of a 10 year contract to evolve the CLASS system to ensure that CLASS meets the demands of rapidly increasing data volumes and user community. Data volumes are planned to exceed 8 Petabytes by 2013 and 20 Petabytes by 2020 making CLASS one of the largest geospatial environmental data archives in the world.
CLASS is designated as NOAA's premier online facility for the distribution of NOAA and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) operational environmental satellite data (Geostationary and Polar (GOES and POES), and DMSP) and derived data products.
CLASS is evolving to support additional satellite data streams, such as MetOp, EOS/MODIS, NPP, and NPOESS, and NOAA's in situ environmental sensors, such as NEXRAD, USCRN, COOP/NERON, and oceanographic sensors and buoys, plus geophysical and solar environmental data.
CLASS is in its fourth year of a major 10-year growth program, adding new data sets and functionality to support a broader user base. More information describing CLASS can be found in the CLASS website: http://www.class.noaa.gov.
DB Consulting is responsible for the program management of the CLASS contract and is responsible for activities that span system and software development using an iterative release, evolution planning that includes architecture development, IT compliance activities such as security and enterprise architecture, systems engineering, 24X7 operations support, hardware engineering, and management of CMMI and ITIL processes. DB personnel support all these activities in partnership with subcontractors Global Science and Technology (GST) and Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC).
Barbara Tripplett, the ringleader of the 10th anniversary surprise, said it was their way of showing appreciation for the DB Cares culture that Dr. Boyd and son, Gerald Boyd Jr., the company's CEO, have instilled for the firm.
"It makes us feel good to have principals who believe sincerely in paying it forward," said Tripplett in an interview in the corporate headquarters above the Silver Spring Metro station.
The DB logo is dominant sign atop the Metro Plaza office complex, rare visibility for an African-American-owned company in any industry. "We're always proud when we look up and see that sign, " added Tripplett.
DB Consulting creates a landmark in Silver Spring and the surrounding national capital area with extensive employee volunteer service. On Oct. 7, 1,000 attended its annual health fair in the local convention center, including representatives from Surgeon General Regina Benjamin's staff.
"One young lady who discovered she had diabetes and didn't know it had to be immediately rushed to the emergency room because her sugar was so high," recalled Tripplett. Inside the District, DB volunteers repair homes for elderly residents with the Hearts and Hammers program. "Everybody loved doing that," she added.
Dr. Boyd, who spent 25 years in government service, gaining a doctorate from George Washington University, before entering entrepreneurship, enjoys watching his employees grow. DB takes pride in developing in-house expertise to support its clients and strategic partners. Now that DB has graduated from 8(a), it will use its past performance with government clients to compete for larger contracts.
Large awards from NASA and HUD in 2004 set the firm on an upward trajectory. By the time it graduated from 8(a), it was the ninth ranked 8a contractor in the country. Boyd will be among the participants in the workshops of Innovation & Equity 2012: Capitalizing Creativity: Innovation and Job Creation on Jan. 15, 2012 at B. Smith Union Station in Washington, D.C.
In a decade, six of his former employees have launched their own companies.
The anniversary concert became even more meaningful because Nicholas Ashford died soon thereafter. "They gave such a great performance and they were both so gracious to spend time afterwards," said Tripplett. "It is very inspirational to us as we move forward."
