Cherokee Federal
Synopsis
Cherokee Federal, a tribally-owned team of government contracting professionals, received the Business Partnership Award in 2025 for its positive impact on increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. In partnership with Global Connections to Employment (GCE), Cherokee Federal led a number of initiatives that helped expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
The Full Story
Cherokee Federal operates a full-service patient appointment contact center in Colorado Springs allowing the beneficiaries and the members of the military health system to find the right doctor and location that suits their needs. Cherokee Federal collaborated with Global Connections to Employment (GCE) to establish new benchmarks for recruitment, training and support systems that ensure long-term employee success.
Mark Kessler, vice president of innovation and business development for GCE, said the partnership between GCE and Cherokee is groundbreaking, and it is the future. Through this partnership, they created sustainable employment opportunities across federal agencies for individuals with disabilities while improving operational effectiveness. Arthur Spring, Cherokee Federal senior account executive, said these are great jobs that are rooted in technology.
"I think for the people who are my age and less, they probably grew up in a technology environment and so being a person with disabilities, being able to give them a job of this nature that is both complementary to the disabilities that they have and provides a location and a mode of work that fits their lifestyle is great," Spring said. "It's very rewarding work.
It's very noble work. It matters. Everything that they do not only helps themselves in their own rehabilitation, but it's also helping other people that need healthcare.
Cherokee Federal Program Manager John Burns said GCE helps individuals with disabilities find positions they can do well and gives them an opportunity to do dignified work to serve the government and taxpayers.
"It also is a great opportunity for our wounded warriors to find employment post military," Burns said. "And when our wounded warriors go from having full capabilities to a different set of capabilities, GCE can provide them with work that is dignified and meaningful. The meaningful work they did for the U.S. government can be continued in another way."
This collaboration on a Colorado Military Health System contract created more than 50 positions for individuals with disabilities at Fort Carson in Colorado.
