Tag: put people first
Christina Payne Named CHRO of the Year at the 2026 WashingtonExec Chief Officer Awards
LEXINGTON PARK, MD – June 3, 2026 – Precise Systems is proud to announce that Chief People Officer Christina Payne has been named CHRO of the Year at the 2026 WashingtonExec Chief Officer Awards, recognizing her exceptional leadership and lasting impact on workforce strategy, employee engagement, and organizational growth.
As Chief People Officer, Payne has transformed the role of HR into a strategic driver of business success, aligning talent, culture, communications, facilities, and security under a unified people-first vision. Her leadership has been instrumental in guiding Precise through a period of significant growth and integration while ensuring employees remained at the center of every decision.
“Christina leads with authenticity, vision, and an unwavering commitment to our people,” said Scott Pfister, CEO and President of Precise Systems. “She has built a culture where employees feel valued, connected, and empowered to do their best work. This recognition reflects the extraordinary impact she has made across our organization.”
Throughout 2025, Payne helped successfully integrate multiple acquired organizations, bringing together teams, systems, and cultures while preserving the values that define Precise. Her focus on listening, transparency, and engagement contributed to a 91% employee satisfaction score, reinforcing a workplace culture built on trust and shared purpose. Under her leadership, Precise welcomed 410 new employees, achieved 22% workforce growth, and created meaningful opportunities for career development and advancement across the enterprise.
Payne has also championed programs that strengthen employee growth, recognition, and connection. Through investments in professional development, education benefits, knowledge-sharing initiatives, and employee recognition programs, she has helped create an environment where employees can thrive while supporting complex national defense missions.
Her leadership has contributed to Precise earning numerous employer-of-choice distinctions, including #1 Military Friendly® Employer (Less than $500M category), #1 Best for Vets Employer in Maryland, the HIRE Vets Gold Medallion Award, and VETS Indexes 5-Star Employer.
The WashingtonExec Chief Officer Awards celebrate the most impactful and innovative executives across government and industry. Payne’s recognition as CHRO of the Year underscores her role in shaping a culture where people, mission, and performance advance together.
About Precise Systems:
Precise Systems delivers integrated, mission-ready solutions that advance warfighter readiness and strengthen our nation’s most critical defense programs. Through the power of our combined capabilities, we provide deep expertise in Advanced Engineering; Digital Transformation; Electromagnetic Warfare; Interactive Training & Simulation; Physical Sciences Research; Platform Lifecycle Support; and Foreign Military Sales. Unified by decades of trusted performance and expanded through strategic growth, our team applies innovative technologies, engineering rigor, and customer-focused execution to solve complex challenges and accelerate mission success. Guided by our commitment to partnership, precision, and performance, we deliver the scalable solutions and technical excellence our customers depend on—today and into the future.
Precise Systems Toys for Tots Drive
LEXINGTON PARK, MD, December 18, 2017 — In accordance with the Precise Systems Core Value of “Putting People First”, the Precise Systems Charitable Contributions Committee provides an opportunity for our company to put people first by offering support to philanthropic organizations in the communities in which our employees live and work. To honor the spirit of holiday giving, the Committee hosted a Holiday Toy Drive benefitting Toys for Tots.
Precise Systems has a long-standing tradition of supporting the Toys for Tots campaigns within in our communities. With the recent growth of the company, Precise was able to set a personal best record for collection totals! The team challenged each other to an internal competition where Business Units competed against one another to see who could collect the most toys. Business Unit 5, led by Senior Vice President, Pete Williams took the crown for most toys collected but truly, the community’s children in need are the real winners here.
The Precise Team’s total collection reached over 325 toys which will be distributed throughout the local communities. A special thank you to the Marine Corps Aviation Detachment Patuxent River and Marine Corps League Patuxent River Detachment 1305 for their help in arranging the pick-up and distribution of the toys collected. Pictured above, the Precise Leadership team presented the Toys to Colonel Girard (Commanding Officer – Marine Aviation Detachment Patuxent River, China Lake & Port Mugu) and Sergeant Roy at our recent Holiday Open House event on December 14, 2017 in Maryland. Also pictured, the Precise Systems Office in Crane, Indiana collected toys for the Toys for Tots campaign in their community. Thank you all for your generosity – together, we have put the people of our communities first and brought the magic of the holidays to a lot of families in need. Wishing you and yours a wonderful Holiday Season!
Putting People First — Charitable Contributions
LEXINGTON PARK, MD, April 28, 2016 — In accordance with the Precise Systems Core Value of “Putting People First”, the Precise Systems Charitable Contributions Committee provides an opportunity for our company to put people first by offering support to philanthropic organizations in the communities in which our employees live and work.
Precise contributed to the following organizations following the 2nd Quarter committee meeting:
- Get Outdoors Day – National Get Outdoors Day is an annual event to encourage healthy, active outdoor fun. National Get Outdoors Day is the signature event of “Great Outdoors Month”, the designation given annually to the month of June by the White House and Governors across the United States.
- Warrior Alliance – The Warrior Alliance helps veterans through their veteran vocational rehabilitation program called Operation Double Eagle. Through their business model, they are in an incredible position to enable successful reintegration for veterans that face the hardship of transitioning into the private sector and providing them a clear pathway to guaranteed employment.
- Kappa Epsilon Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Black and Gold Sponsorship Ball – The annual Black and Gold Ball is the capstone fund raising event to support college scholarships for high school seniors and other community service programs.
- Great Mills High School Robotics Team – RoboBees – The RoboBees, FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) team 836, is a robotics team located in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. Charitable funding will allow the group to continue work in the areas of STEM exploration by local high school students.
- Pax River Raiders – The Pax River Raiders Youth Football League, a non-profit community service, has been serving the youth of St. Mary’s County for the last eight years. The organization is solely funded by registration fees, fundraisers, and community donations through sponsorships and serves the youth of St. Mary’s County to allow them to participate in youth football and cheerleading. They also assist underprivileged youth who want to participate in the organization with scholarships.
- Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center, SkillsUSA program – Supports the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center to sponsor students in the SkillsUSA program enabling 13 Maryland state gold medal winners attend the National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville Kentucky June 20-24, 2016.
- Friends for Kids of Daviess County, Annual Sponsorship Drive – Friends for Kids provides adult companionship for children in need. Operating funds are raised through United Way and Daviess County Foundation and donations from public sources.
- Life’s Good in Leonard’s Grant 5K – Sponsorship of annual 5K event that raises money for the Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department.
- Ronald McDonald House – Ronald McDonald Houses offer a “home-away-from-home” for families so they can stay close by their hospitalized child at little or no cost.