Meet The Team – Colleen

July 7, 2022

Colleen Oliva

When Colleen Oliva joined Kosmo Machine back in early March 2020, her role and objectives seemed clearly defined. We were thrilled she had started with us and quickly gained a high regard for her professionalism and experience.

Little did we all know that the coming months would take every ounce of Colleen’s experience and skills.

A matter of a few days after her start date … Covid-19 hit and everything we knew was turned on its head!

After 14 years in grocery retail, Colleen’s ability to handle the unexpected was clear from day one. In fact, when we sympathized that she had landed at Kosmo in the middle of a global tsunami, Colleen calmly replied :

“It is an ideal time to start with Kosmo because it allows my experience to come to the forefront right away, and I am secure in my abilities to ensure that our team stays safe, healthy, and knows the Company has their best interests at heart.”

Right away the angst and concern we were all feeling dropped significantly.

As a key part of the US critical infrastructure, Kosmo was fortunate to have a strong year and not lose a single employee through a layoff or furlough. We were much more fortunate than many companies, but the challenges of keeping the lights on and the “chips flying” were still significant. Colleen views the past few years as an amazing learning experience and an opportunity to shine.

Mike Redden, Kosmo’s President, added, “Having Colleen’s hand on the HR helm was a major comfort as we all came to terms with how best to deal with the challenges of Covid. This wasn’t something you could plan for in college or study in an on-line course; and Colleen seemed unfazed and happy to jump into the fray. All of our staff appreciated her calm resolve and can-do approach.”

A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Colleen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration & Management. And can be heard proudly extolling “Go Rams” whenever VCU has a sporting event.

Colleen is pursuing her Master’s degree in HR Management at the University of Richmond, with plans to graduate in late 2023/early 2024. We assume her repertoire will expand to “Go Rams and Go Spiders” fairly soon.

An avid runner of marathons and half-marathons, Colleen is very active in her church and leads a Sunday church group, while at the same time being a great parent with her husband, Nick, to their six kids; and still managing to find time to read. Next up on her adventures is either a trip to Ireland or a long-awaited return to her birth state of Alaska.

Located near the Richmond International Airport, Kosmo’s 62,000-square-foot, climate-controlled facility in Sandston, Virginia, can handle the entire lifecycle of just about any precision project—from initial concept to large-scale production runs.