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Writer's pictureAshley Thacker

Obsidian Spotlight: Neal Kobayashi

Neal who resides in Fairfax, VA is a proud husband of over 30+ years, dad of four, and grandfather of two. In his past work guises, he’s flipped burgers, made cold calls, collected water samples on the Chesapeake, and helped secure some of the largest collections of public data in the nation.



Neal Kobayashi was nominated for this month's Employee Spotlight by Angie Tristan.


She says, “He has been integral to the development of the Obsidian FSA team from inception. He represents us extremely well to the customer and readily accepts any challenge. He takes care of his team and works hard to help them grow their skill sets and accomplish the mission. We couldn't ask for a better senior leader than Neal.”


Obsidian couldn't agree more. Thank you Neal for all your hard work and for being an exemplary teammate!


  1. What is your role at Obsidian? How long have you been here? I’ve been part of the Obsidian team since mid- September, 2021. I’m part of the Department of Education Federal Student Aid team, where I’m the team lead for the ATO Support team, which provides specialized cybersecurity support for FSA.

  2. What has been one of your proudest moments while working with Obsidian? Watching members of my team add to their skills and take initiative to expand the assistance we bring to the client.

  3. What's one thing you learned last year? The increasing dependence on remote meetings has encouraged me to use the conference camera more. As an introvert, I’ve had to learn how to be comfortable with and the value of projecting myself on-camera. It’s an increasingly important way to connect both professionally and personally.

  4. What is the last book you read? Would you recommend it? Days of Jubilee, by Patricia C. and Frederick L. McKissack. It’s a very slim (128 pages) large format history book intended for younger readers, but I found it eye-opening for the way it uses first-person narratives and photos to show American slavery and it’s supposed end. The most fascinating points of view are of course, the former slaves themselves- the fear, hope, and pride that they carried. The book also explains Lincoln’s complicated motivations for emancipation. An exceptional read.

  5. If you had to eat one meal everyday for the rest of your life, what would it be? Ramen. One could have nearly endless varieties of meat, vegetables, broth flavors, eggs, tofu, and spices. Plus, it’s my soul food!



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