IT faculty and CEIT Service Manager win Patriot Awards

April 13, 2016

This week in surprise ceremonies, Todd Tinker and Chris Kadlec, Ph.D., were presented with Patriot Awards by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense office. The award is given to supervisors who have been nominated by an employee serving in the National Guard or Reserve or the spouse of a Guard or Reserve member for their efforts to support citizen warriors. Recognized efforts include a wide range of measures from flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families to granting leaves of absence if necessary.

Tinker is a service manager in the University’s Center for Academic Technology Support and a graduate student at the University.  Chris Kadlec, Ph.D., is an associate professor of IT and specializes in IT infrastructure, networking and security.

Chuck Clark, the Employer Outreach director for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve for the State of Georgia, presented the awards on campus.

The ESGR was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee’s military commitment. ESGR is supported by a network of more than 4,500 volunteers in 54 committees located across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam-CNMI (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Volunteers, hailing from small business and industry, government, education and prior military service bring a vast wealth of experience to assist in serving employers, service members and their families. Together with Headquarters ESGR staff and a small cadre of support staff for each State Committee, volunteers work to promote and enhance employer support for military service in the Guard and Reserve.

Georgia Southern University has been named a Military Friendly School® by G.I. Jobs Magazine for the fifth year in a row for its efforts to provide educational opportunities to America’s veterans, active-duty troops and their families.