Before launching HX5 in 2004, Margarita Howard spent years working inside the government system she would later serve as a contractor. Her role on the Tricare implementation team, the Department of Defense’s health care management initiative, gave her an operational perspective few entrepreneurs in government contracting can claim. She rose from area field manager to regional director, overseeing seven states across the Southeast during a period of substantial organizational change.
“I was part of the Tricare implementation team when it was first introduced. Before that, the military’s care had never been managed in such a fashion,” Howard said. That experience shaped not only her understanding of federal operations but also her tolerance for complexity, a quality essential in the government contracting world.
Growth Across Two Decades
Today, Howard serves as sole owner and CEO/president of HX5, a company headquartered in Fort Walton Beach, Florida that now employs more than 1,000 people across 34 states and 90 government locations. HX5 provides professional mission support services to the Department of Defense and NASA. The company’s scale is a product of deliberate growth decisions, particularly the choice to pursue competitive contracts rather than relying on sole-source awards.
Margarita Howard has also prioritized building HX5 into a model for women’s leadership in a historically male industry. Many of the firm’s senior management positions are held by women, and the leadership team’s tenure speaks to the culture Howard has cultivated. The government contracting sector has been changing in this respect, and Howard has been a part of that shift. She acknowledges that progress is real but incomplete. “It’s still somewhat challenging for women in this industry, and while progress has been made, some biases unfortunately remain to be overcome,” she said. For Howard, being candid about those barriers is as important as setting an example by clearing them. See related link for more information.
More about Margarita Howard on https://www.youngupstarts.com/2025/01/10/how-hx5-and-margarita-howard-stay-ahead-in-government-contracting-as-a-women-owned-firm/