Pella Team Leader Recognized with Patriot Award
One Pella team leader received special recognition just in time for the Fourth of July.
On July 2, Jacob Brown, a Technical Department Manager in Pella, IA, received a Patriot Award in recognition of his support of team members serving in the National Guard or Reserve.
Jacob was nominated for the award by Cody Stierwalt, an Electrical Machine Builder and member of the Iowa National Guard. As a member of Jacob’s team, Cody says the trust, flexibility and outreach he gets from his leader is important to recognize, explaining, “Jacob understands that a good work/life balance is extra important for someone serving who may only get 36 or so free weekends a year.”
At the end of 2019, Cody’s unit was activated to serve in Kuwait. In less than two weeks, he was in pre-deployment training with the encouragement of his leaders at Pella. He received messages and care packages from his colleagues during his time overseas, and his toolbox was waiting for him at Pella when he returned to work two years later. He continues to serve one weekend a month and two weeks a year as a Guardsman, with full support from Jacob.
“I appreciate that Cody nominated me for the Patriot Award,” says Jacob. “I always try to show that I care about and respect my team members, even when it means making accommodations to support their lives outside of work. It meant a lot to me to hear about the ways that Cody has been positively impacted by my actions.”
To Cody, it’s important to see leaders like Jacob support service members working at Pella. “I’m not the only soldier working for this company who has drill throughout the year or who may deploy at any given time, but I can speak on behalf of all of us Citizen-Soldiers. We appreciate the flexibility, we appreciate the support from this company, and we appreciate having a manager who understands the sacrifices that our service members go through.”
“The ESGR Patriot Award is a beacon of appreciation, honoring supervisors and managers who support their military employees,” says Becky Coady, State Chair of Iowa ESGR. “Business leadership and coworkers are all vital in safeguarding our nation's strength by valuing and empowering those who serve. This award ensures they are recognized for their sacrifices when their employee is away on military duty.”
Congratulations, Jacob, on your Patriot Award, and thank you to all of the service members on the Pella team.
About the Patriot Award
The Patriot Award recognizes the efforts made by employers to support employees serving in the National Guard or Reserve. Service members nominate an individual supervisor for the support provided directly to the nominating service member and their family. The recognition is awarded to individual supervisors, not to an entire staff or organization. The award is presented by Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an office within the U.S. Department of Defense. ESGR promotes cooperation and understanding between reserve component service members and their civilian employers.