Kirk Clear celebrates three years with Tria Federal in July 2024. He was promoted from program manager to operations director in 2022, and works remotely from Melbourne, Florida.
What’s your favorite part of working at Tria?
Definitely the work-life balance. That means a lot to me at this stage in my life.
What accomplishment during your time at Tria are you most proud of?
I’m happy that I’ve been able to mentor future leaders. I’m at the point in my career where I want to pass on the knowledge and experience that I’ve gained over the years to help others grow. I’ve seen people get promoted under me, and that gives me a great deal of satisfaction. Even if it means losing somebody great to another contract within the company, I would rather somebody grow within Tria than lose them to another company.
I led the establishment of a program management office (PMO) for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Privacy Service. I enjoyed not only helping VA, but also teaching my staff what it means to stand up a full PMO.
How do you create a sense of teamwork with coworkers?
I do my best to help my team feel connected to Tria. In this remote environment, people can feel disconnected. Also, in the contracting world, people can feel more connected to the customer than they do their employer. I try to pass on as much information to them as I can. Every Friday I send out an email called “Friday Notes” with updates and reminders of things going on. I believe communication is key. If people understand what they’re working for and what the bigger picture looks like, they’re more likely to feel a part of the team.
I also hold periodic training and mentoring sessions to pass on knowledge I’ve gained throughout the years. I don’t just say, “Do it this way because I said so,” I say, “This is why.” For example, I recently shared writing tips based on an editorial style guide I created last year for our team.
What’s an interest or hobby you pursue in your free time?
I swim competitively through U.S. Masters Swimming; I’ve been doing that for over 30 years. I volunteer as chair of the history and archives committee for U.S. Masters Swimming and vice chair of Florida Masters Swimming. I also play ice hockey in a league. On Wednesdays I wake up at 4:45 am for a swim session, and play in an ice hockey game at 10:30 pm; I don’t get home from until about 1am. Wednesdays are my long days!
I enjoy putting on animated light shows every Christmas and Fourth of July. I synchronize the lights to music myself. I use the light shows to raise money for charity, usually a veteran-focused organization. Last year I raised $1,100 for a local branch of Honor Flight, an organization that transports veterans to Washington, D.C. to honor them for a day. Tria supported my donation with a match, and I was able to give Space Coast Honor Flight a check for $2,200 in March.
What is something that people would be surprised to learn about you?
I worked as a sports journalist for several years, and while I was serving in the military, I was editor of a 40-page weekly newspaper. Later I was superintendent of the public affairs office at Andrews Air Force Base, where I dealt with all the media for Air Force One. When I was retiring, the pilot invited me to bring my family onboard to see the inside of the president’s jet.
I’m an avid reader, particularly on leadership and management. For Christmas I sent a copy of the book “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek to the next tier of leaders under me.
