Our firm is dedicated to continuous professional development to serve our clients even better.  

Three members of our proposal team at Public Knowledge® (PK) completed The Association of Record for Bid, Proposal, Business Development, Capture, and Graphics Professionals (APMP) Foundation-Level Certification:

• Whitney Agopian, Vice President of Proposal Center
• Kellynn Gates, Proposal Coordinator
• Dava Leonard, Proposal Manager

What the Certification Is

The APMP Certification is the global standard for both developing and demonstrating competency in proposal management. Attaining this accreditation shows that Whitney, Dava, and Kellynn not only demonstrate a profound commitment to this profession. Furthermore, it shows devotion to improving their business development capabilities, focusing on the best team practices, and reinforcing how bid/proposal management plays a vital role in our firm that requires an elevated level of skill.

What This Means for PK

Innovative, Exciting Ideas

While the proposal team’s goal is to have a process that’s intuitive, collaborative, flexible, and an approach that results in winning proposals, according to Whitney, this helped them improve their ideas and efficiency.

“I found value in reading the APMP’s Body of Knowledge as it confirmed from a high level that we are on the right track. But it did give me, and others that studied or are studying, ideas to improve. Conversations stemming from what we learned have energized and excited me. The conversations also confirmed that the proposal team is an amazing, motivated team that never wants to settle for good enough but is always looking for ways to make it better and better,” said Whitney Agopian, Vice President of Proposal Center.

Help Our Proposals Stand Out from the Competition as Uniquely Response Solutions

Dava wanted to improve our firm’s interactions with fellow Pkers who help us research and select opportunities and who help us develop and review our responses.

“In addition to taking the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) foundation-level certification exam, I attended APMP’s 2021 Bid and Proposal Conference (BPC). At this four-day event, I learned best practices to improve our proposal strategy and processes, from market research to proposal debriefs. Implementing small changes over the next several months will result in a more clear and collaborative process and proposals that win us work in new markets and verticals,” said Dava Leonard, Proposal Manager.

A Continued Dedication to Professional Development

Here at PK, we don’t just say we strive to better ourselves—we mean it. Kellynn is an example of how working towards certifications such as these helps our clients and us.

“I wanted to grow my knowledge and skills in the development of quality proposals. The APMP provides resources and best practices that make my work better. The certification goal helped me focus my professional development hours and kept me working towards that goal even when my workload was heavy. I know that bringing my best to PK helps our company win work. I want my best to keep getting better and better,” said Kellynn Gates, Proposal Coordinator.

Want to Learn More About PK?

Regardless of if you’re a part of our team or looking for a consulting firm to assist in an upcoming project, you are genuinely valued. Learn more about the consulting services and career opportunities.