Before Margarita Howard became the sole owner and CEO/president of HX5, she spent years inside the systems she would later work alongside as a contractor. That inside experience gave her a significant advantage when she founded HX5 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida in 2004, and it continues to inform how she runs the firm today, with more than 1,000 employees at 90 government locations in 34 states providing mission support to the Department of Defense and NASA.
Howard’s formative professional experience came through the Tricare program, the Department of Defense’s comprehensive health care initiative. “I was part of the Tricare implementation team when it was first introduced,” she has said. “Before that, the military’s care had never been managed in such a fashion.” Her role grew quickly. Starting as an area field manager in Florida, she was promoted to regional director responsible for seven southeastern states.
Learning the Language of Government
That progression gave Howard a clear view of how government programs operate, how decisions get made, and what agencies actually need from outside partners. “Nobody likes change,” she reflected on the Tricare rollout. “So we had a lot of town hall meetings.” Managing stakeholder expectations across a multi-state region sharpened skills she would put to use running HX5.
When she launched the company, Howard built its infrastructure to match what large federal clients expected. “Large businesses and the government have to meet small-business goals,” she explained. “So when they find a small company that they know understands the industry [and] they’re not going to have to hold their hand, I’m proud to say they were very impressed with us.”
That credibility carried HX5 through the 8(a) program, where the firm won four contracts in a single year, and well beyond it. Margarita Howard has never lost sight of the mission at the center of the work. “Working side by side with civil servants and the military, supporting their respective missions, is a privilege,” she said. “I love this business and the work that we do. I’m extremely proud of it.” For HX5, that sense of purpose is more than rhetoric; it drives the company’s daily operations. Refer to this article for related information.
Find more information about HX5 on https://www.finsmes.com/2026/01/margarita-howard-on-how-hx5s-defense-origins-launched-its-expansion-into-nasa-contracting.html
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