Charles Lyons-Burt
Terry Nihart has a strong background in U.S. military service, having completed stints as an action officer in the Army’s Directorate of Operations, a battalion commander for the Commander of the Army’s only airborne military police battalion and as chief of operations in the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command.
For the last half-decade, Nihart has found consonance for his disciplined military training with the integrity, “dedication” and wisdom of the Chenega Corporation. He began at the company as senior director of business development and has ascended to now lead its security strategic business unit, Chenega Security SBU as president.
Nihart spoke to ExecutiveBiz for a Spotlight interview that explored the company’s mission and the values that underpin it.
ExecutiveBiz: What drives Chenega’s mission and how does your role contribute to these pursuits?
Terry Nihart: Chenega Corporation’s mission is to drive sustainable growth across our businesses, supporting shareholders in achieving economic self-sufficiency, actively managing our lands, and preserving our cultural traditions and values. At the heart of this mission is the empowerment of shareholders, ensuring that the company’s growth contributes to their long-term success and stability. We are also deeply committed to managing our land responsibly, preserving it for future generations. Chenega Corporation is focused on supporting the economic, social and cultural aspects of our work, while also contributing to the educational advancement, prosperity and infrastructure of the Chenega community.
In my role, I directly contribute to advancing Chenega’s mission by identifying and securing business opportunities that drive financial growth. This growth enables the corporation to fulfill its mission, ensuring continued success and long-term sustainability.
EBiz: Tell me about Chenga’s culture. What aspects of the company do you think are contributing most to its success while helping to attract and retain top-level talent?
Nihart: We deeply value our cultural traditions, and the wisdom passed down from elders, which guides the way we conduct business and shape our relationships with the broader community. We respect differences. This is reflected in how we collaborate with clients and partners, ensuring a respectful environment in all our projects. We pride ourselves on being trustworthy, always delivering on our word. In the context of government contracting, this means consistently meeting contract requirements and timelines. Our decisions and actions are grounded in integrity.
As a government contractor, we adhere to ethical standards, ensuring compliance and transparency in all dealings. We foster a creative problem-solving mindset that drives us to find innovative solutions. For government contracts, we bring forward-thinking solutions to complex challenges. Our dedication extends to all stakeholders, including shareholders, employees and customers. This commitment ensures we maintain a high standard of performance and excellence in our government contracts. We focus on delivering high-quality, cost-effective services, ensuring operational excellence that provides lasting value. Our past performance in government contracting reflects our ability to meet these high standards consistently. Our quality program drives ethical business practices, compliance and operational efficiency. We leverage our past performance to demonstrate our ability to meet stringent regulatory requirements in GovCon.
EBiz: In your opinion, what makes Chenega a place where the best and brightest want to work?
Nihart: In my view, what makes Chenega a top place to work is our strong, mission-driven culture and focus on delivering tangible results. We approach our business with vision, innovation and a competitive mindset, driving success while encouraging our people to think creatively and contribute to meaningful projects. Chenega attracts top talent by offering opportunities for growth, competitive compensation and recognizing individual contributions. We work hard and celebrate our achievements, ensuring our team feels valued.
What sets Chenega apart is our commitment to strengthening the community and advancing our shareholders’ interests. We take pride in being responsible corporate citizens, making a real impact both in business and beyond. At Chenega, employees understand they are part of something larger, which fuels their dedication and passion. This blend of purpose, opportunity and impact makes Chenega an exceptional place to work.
EBiz: How do you think the current inflection point in federal returns to office is affecting or will affect contractors?
Nihart: The current inflection point in federal returns to office is unlikely to significantly affect our operations due to our strong foundation in operational excellence and adaptability. At Chenega, we embrace a quality program that defines how we manage our business to ensure we remain ethical, compliant and operationally efficient. As a corporation, we are able to quickly pivot and adjust to changing circumstances, whether federal agencies are shifting to hybrid models or fully returning to in-person work.
Our commitment to delivering high-quality, cost-effective services and creating lasting value for all customers positions us to meet any new challenges that arise from the changing federal landscape. We have a proven ability to adapt swiftly to evolving requirements, and our focus on maintaining operational excellence ensures that we can continue to provide seamless, high-level support to our federal clients, no matter how their needs or working environments may shift. We will remain resilient and well-positioned to deliver outstanding services, regardless of the changes in the federal workforce.
