Overview
ALEXANDRIA, VA (August 11, 2010)-Praxis, Inc. (Praxis) announced today that Jack Chapman has stepped down as President of the corporation and of the Board of Directors; he will remain with the company as Sr. Vice President of Technology and will work in an advisory position for the foreseeable future. Mr. Chapman, who turned 61 in July, is moving into semi-retirement and will work several days a week helping to develop new business and to support special projects. According to Mr. Chapman, his motivation to make the move is to allow others in the organization to move up and take on more responsibility, and to allow him to devote more time to personal interests. He said, "I'll be reaching retirement age next year; and we are now putting a new focus on the company as the defense business domain evolves, and I would like to give Ms. Schaub and Mr. Contillo the opportunity to take the helm of this ship right from the beginning." He added "Jane was the obvious choice to lead Praxis. She's a strong manager respected by our employees and clients, and she has a thorough understanding how Praxis does business. But most importantly, Jane ensures continuity of leadership during a period of transition." Mr. Chapman founded Praxis almost twenty-five years ago; he started his career in industry after serving six years in the Navy, and moved up through the ranks to become Vice President of Programs with Linkabit, Inc. before founding Praxis in 1987. Under Mr. Chapman's direction, Praxis grew from a start-up to a profitable venture employing about 100 engineering professionals, associates, and related technical staff.
Jane T. Schaub has now assumed the role of the company's President and she was also appointed to serve on the company's Board of Directors. Ms. Schaub joined Praxis more than 15-years ago and most recently served as the company's Vice President for Business Operations, where she oversaw all aspects of day-to-day business management, including finance and accounting operations, planning and budgeting, contracts and pricing, program business management, and procurement and subcontract administration. Ms. Schaub has served in a number of progressive contracting and finance roles since joining the company in 1995. In her new position, Ms. Schaub will have the ultimate operational oversight and responsibility for all of the company's business operations.
Ms. Schaub commented, "I'm proud to be leading Praxis during such an exciting time, and our committed workforce provides an excellent resource and a solid platform on which to build for our future and to realize our full potential in the marketplace. I look forward to working jointly with our employees and their managers to expand our customer base, grow revenues, and provide the best possible customer service." Jane added "We sincerely thank Jack for his years of hard work with the company and we are pleased that he will continue to support us as an advisor."
Praxis also announced that Mr. Ronald A. Contillo is returning to the company as Executive Vice President of Engineering and Technical Services. He will ensure that engineering excellence continues to be a priority in all of our services to satisfy our customers and grow the company. Ron joins Praxis from ATK Space in Beltsville, MD where he served as Vice President of Engineering Services and was responsible for the majority of that group's business with NASA and the Defense Department, including business unit operational and financial performance, customer relationship management, business development, sales, and strategic planning. Mr. Contillo comes to Praxis with over 25-years of experience in which he moved up the ranks from engineering and project management positions to executive positions in sales, marketing, and strategic planning in space and launch systems. Mr. Contillo previously served at Praxis for over seven years, where his last position was Director of Space Systems. Mr. Contillo has a B.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from Iowa State University and a Masters in Business Administration from Pepperdine University.
"We are fortunate to have someone of Ron's professional stature leading our executive management team," said Ms. Schaub. "Ron has a proven track record of delivering on strategy and generating results. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise to Praxis and will help us move forward strategically within our customer base."
The changes that come along with Ms. Schaub's move to President and Mr. Contillo's arrival at Praxis will bring an expansion to the Company's executive team, and will also include some shifts in responsibility and reporting structures, and some new placements. These changes will be announced in the near future.
"I'm extremely pleased with both of these appointments," said Jack Chapman, former President of Praxis. "The two appointments ensure that Praxis can continue to provide a high level of support to our existing client base, and will help us to expand and offer our scientific and engineering services to new clients. As I begin to reduce my role in the daily company operations, it's nice to know that Praxis is in capable hands. Together, Jane and Ron form a robust and experienced management team. Our clients can anticipate many more years of dedicated service from Praxis."
Praxis, Inc. is a leading provider of innovative scientific analysis and engineering solutions to the U.S. government. Our scientists and engineers work to solve complex technical problems in the areas of space systems, instrumentation, defense and intelligence, and information technology. Praxis is headquartered at 5845 Richmond Highway, Suite 700, Alexandria, VA. More information about Praxis is available at www.pxi.com.
Contact Information:
Praxis Public Relations, Jane T. Schaub, (703) 837-8400.