Kent County Levy Court wins national award for support of National Guard

Delaware Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve held its 2011 Employer Recognition Banquet earlier this month in Dover to recognize employers who provide extraordinary support to employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. The state’s top honor, the Pro Patria Award, was presented to Kent County Levy Court. Levy Court President P. Brooks Banta and County Administrator Michael Petit de Mange attended and accepted the award on the organization’s behalf.

Among the many additional awards were Seven Seals awards, whose recipients included  Dominick Pulieri, Grotto Pizza; Coron Thompson, Rehoboth Bay Community; David Vaughn, Capital School District and CMSgt. Holly Morris, Delaware Air National Guard (Ret).

The Pro Patria award is presented annually and is the highest state-level award given to a civilian employer. Each year, one employer is honored at the highest state level for its support of employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.

Kent County was recognized for providing the most exceptional support of national defense through leadership practices and personnel policies that support their employees who serve in the armed forces. The organization was recognized for the personal support offered to service members and their families, as well as their strong initiatives to recruit military employees. Kent County employee benefits program includes paid military leave; in addition, military employees retain full benefits and continue to accrue vacation while mobilized.

The employer commits to ensure all managers are given information on Uniformed Services Employment and Redemption Rights Act and frequently provided with email reminders.

The agency has erected a military monument on their property and hosted an annual ceremony on Veterans Day. Frequently, department co-workers come together to send care packages to deployed members. The employer contributes to the USO to send care packages to all armed forces. The employer actively maintains contact with the families of deployed Guard and Reserve employees. The military-friendly relationship to its employees is consistently recognized by Patriot Award nominations of its supervisors. The employer was also named a finalist in the 2011 Secretary of Defense Freedom Award. This notable and prestigious honor was bestowed on only 30 employers nationwide, out of 4,049 nominations received.