Her Story
About Katrice
My professional journey spans over two decades in defense and manufacturing, where I've built a reputation for excellence in project management and compliance. I hold a bachelor's degree in information systems from LSU and a master's in business administration from the University of New Orleans. My career began with Huntington Ingalls, the largest shipbuilder in the country supporting National Defense, where I spent 10 years in mission-critical work ensuring our soldiers had the equipment and training they needed for wartime operations. I progressed through roles in logistics, budgeting, and project management, reaching Project Manager 3, the top level at the time. A vendor I had helped during my career reached out and recruited me to Supreme Integrated Technology, where I used my skills as a former prime contractor to help them as a subcontractor organize their contracts and grow their military portfolio to more than half of their business with sustained growth for over 10 years. I advanced from Director to Executive Director to Vice President of Program Management, and I served on the board of directors for 4 years as Vice President. I was the first Black board member in the history of the parent company, Employee Owned Holdings. After semi-retiring from corporate, I founded Gene Tech Diagnostics to provide employers with streamlined, compliant solutions for pre-employment screening, DNA testing, drug testing, and background checks. What makes Gene Tech different is that clients have me - someone with real experience who understands requirements, compliance, and efficiency. I work with each client from a clean slate to build custom packages that meet their specific needs and budget, rather than offering one-size-fits-all solutions. I'm also certified woman-owned and have a SAMS cage code, UEI, and capability statement. Beyond Gene Tech, I continue to do project management contracting work and maintain a strong reputation in the defense industry.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Katrice
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my upbringing and my drive to continuously push the envelope to the next level. I went to private school all my life, including an all-girls Catholic high school, which gave me a different perspective. My parents helped instill in me this drive to be excellent - I was the all-honors kid who worked hard for scholarships to LSU. Many years later, that drive is still there. It's this continuous push to do your best and be excellent in everything you do.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to younger women and upcoming leaders is to trust the process before making any decisions. At the end of the day, it will all come together. A lot of young people want everything right now - they want immediate gratification - but for a sustained, long-term career, you have to trust the process and go through the motions. It is a bottom-up world, but it's up to them on how fast they get there. If you put in the work, it'll happen faster for you. You typically cannot skip steps. If you skip steps, you will always have to go back to square one to understand where you missed in between. Bottom-up means you have to go through it - it's not that easy. You can't just click buttons and it works for you. You have to understand your business and your craft from the bottom up before you can teach other people or before you can call yourself an expert. It's really not about the corner office or the title - they're chasing the wrong thing if that's what they're focused on.
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