Chronicle
KNO… the Early Years
The organization began in 1979 when Steven J. Kelly, founder, had just finished Army service and was contracted by local military bases to provide customized personnel training courses. Initial operations were based in Washington state, then relocated to Houston in the early 1980s for nuclear power plant training work.
Mari Novak joined as partner in 1984. The company relocated to Czechoslovakia in 1990 following the Velvet Revolution, establishing offices in Prague and Bratislava. KNO was abbreviated from Kelly Novak Opportunities but in recent years is reflected in the adage Knowledge Needs Opportunity.
KNO Milestones (1979–2026)
Founding by Steven J. Kelly upon completion of active service as officer in US Army.
Begins with M. Mari Novak joining Steven J. Kelly as partner.
Concludes 4 year project with the South Texas nuclear power plant.
Concludes multiyear performance improvement projects with the City of Reno and Sierra Pacific Power in Nevada.
Relocated and register a limited liability company in Prague, Czechoslovakia.
Early cooperation with the US Peace Corps begins which extends throughout the 1990s.
The first joint Comprehensive Salary Survey in cooperation with Coopers & Lybrand.
Contracted under USAID funding to open training support offices in the Czech and Slovak Republics for the next decade.
Selected as the training partner by GM / Opel for a 5 year project to open the Czechoslovak retail dealer market.
Starts a (then) Big Six Audit firm comparative salary survey in several countries.
Delivers its first Off-site Retreat and Teambuilding event.
Partner Steven Kelly elected to the first of several terms as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic.
Introduces Mystery Shopping into Eastern Europe with clients Shell, KFC, McDonalds and Hertz.
Introduce to the Czech / Slovak market the first complex computer-based marketing and manufacturing training simulations.
Co-organized with Český Telecom the first run of 'The Olympics for the Young and Talented'.
Organizes the first of over 80 donor-funded study tours with groups from all over Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.
Begin first USAID funded performance improvement projects in Palestine and Lithuania.
Sells its 50% share of the Czech and Slovak Salary Survey to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Mari Novak elected to a term as the President of the Board of the American Chamber of Commerce in the Slovak Republic.
Develops an internet tool research tool FAMA which processes on-line corporate surveys.
Introduced the first HR simulation game in the Czech and Slovak languages.
Conducted human resource assessments for Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty in Russia and Uzbekistan.
Senior partners of KNO – Steven J. Kelly, Mari M. Novak, and Anna Čermáková – awarded Certified Performance Technologist designations, by the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI).
Develops OrgMapa, a new comprehensive corporate survey tool.
Hosts the ISPI Europe conference in Prague.
Starts a continuing emphasis on USAID Human and Institutional Capacity Development (HICD) with early assessments in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Republic of Georgia.
Assumption of leadership of KNO Česko by local partners Michaela Karásková and Hana Hanibalová.
Begins the first of two terms for Steven Kelly on the Board of Directors with the International Society for Performance Improvement.
Brings much media attention to KNO by Slovak media such as Hospodárske Noviny (Economic News), Firma magazine and the Slovak-American Chamber of Commerce.
Initiates the first KNO project in Latin America (Nicaragua) working to support civil society.
Kicks-off the Performance-Driven Project Management certification sponsored by ISPI.
Celebrates 20 years since the start-up of KNO Česko in Prague.
Receives a certificate of merit from the International Federation of Training and Development Organizations for our Performance Driven Project Management program for the Turkish Cypriot Community.
Celebrates 20 years of operation in the Slovak Republic under the leadership of Anna Čermáková.
Initiates a several year capacity building program in Vietnam focused on strengthening non-profit organizations in the health and disabilities sector.
Rolls out a capacity development effort for senior consultants across all sectors in Kyrgyzstan.
Honors for M. Mari Novak by the International Society for Performance Improvement conference with the prestigious Geary Rummler award for the Advancement of Performance Improvement.
Concludes a 5 year capacity building project in Rwanda focusing on agriculture, health and education sectors.
Sees the publication of Performance Assessment and Analysis: Development Solutions for Worthy Results.
Celebrates 40 years since KNO founding in 1979.
KNO founder Steven Kelly enters 3 year volunteer engagement with Timebank Ireland as board member to strengthen governance and finances.
Steven Kelly speaker for the ISPI EMEA conference on building a performance improvement consultancy.
Steven Kelly received the ISPI Geary Rummler Award for the Advancement of Performance Improvement.