The ESOP Association Announces Karla Langhus Wins Employee Owner of the Year


WASHINGTON, DC --(Marketwired - June 02, 2016) - At its Annual Conference here on May 18, The ESOP Association announced that Karla Langhus of DCS Corporation in Alexandria, VA, has won the award for Employee Owner the Year.

"The numerous roles Karla has played to grow the ownership culture at DCS is without parallel. For example, she has been the prime mover behind seven DCS entries into the Annual Award for Communications Excellence, or AACE contest," said J. Michael Keeling, President of The ESOP Association.

Karla joined DCS's Corporate Communications Committee seven years ago, and quickly became the chair -- a role she still holds today. Under Karla's leadership, the committee has amassed a slew of admirable accomplishments.

Drawing on her IT background, Karla set up an online workspace that helped far-flung members of the communications committee share ideas and collaborate. Karla also developed the first Annual Communication Plan for the committee. The plan provides a structure for running the committee, and has been instrumental in justifying the committee's activity expenses. Today, the committee has an established budget, enabling it to provide consistent, quality activities to employee owners.

The committee also jump started a walking challenge, which helps employee owners learn how health care costs affect the corporate bottom line, and their ESOP accounts. It also reminds them that taking care of customers, the company, and the community are not enough: They also must take care of themselves.

Recently, Karla promoted working with a non-profit organization that provides used paperback books to American troops overseas. This helps DCS employee owners connect to the larger community, and to their customers. (DCS offers technology and management solutions to government agencies in the national security sector.)

Karla has attended numerous ESOP Association events, and developed and facilitated sessions for events at ESOP Association chapters.

ABOUT THE ESOP ASSOCIATION:

The ESOP Association is America's largest employer-sponsored advocacy and education association focused on employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). Founded in 1978, the Association seeks to enhance federal laws governing ESOPs, provide members with expert information, and fund research via the Employee Ownership Foundation (an affiliate). The ESOP Association's members include ESOP companies, companies considering an ESOP, and service providers that assist in setting up and maintaining ESOPs.

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Contact Information:

More Information:
Patrick Mirza
(202) 293-2971
Patrick@esopassociation.org
@ESOPAssociation
www.esopassociation.org
www.esopassociationblog.org

Karla Langhus, ESOP Association, Michael Keeling, employee communication