Seminole State honored with Department of Defense Above and Beyond Award

Seminole State College has been named a recipient of the Department of Defense (DOD) Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Above and Beyond Award.

The College was recognized during the 2019 Florida ESGR Annual Awards Ceremony held at the Orlando Marriott Lake Mary. 

The College was nominated for the prestigious DOD award by United States Navy Reserve Chief Mark Richardson, who is the College’s communications manager. Richardson was recalled to active duty in the summer of 2017 and spent a year overseas on active duty.

In the nomination of the College, Richardson expressed how extremely supportive his co-workers were during his absence and the College’s support of all the other employees and students who are veterans.

“Over the past five years, Seminole State has awarded credentials to 16 active duty military students, 628 veterans, 82 students who serve in the reserve forces, and 215 spouses and children of veterans,” said Richardson. “In November 2018, Seminole State College was designated as a premier Purple Heart Institution by the Military Order of the Purple Heart in recognition of the college’s support of military members, including veterans and their families. I have had nothing but the full support from my manager and executive staff when I am attending drill weekends, annual training, and most recently during my deployment out of country.”

Seminole State College President Dr. Georgia L. Lorenz accepted the award on behalf of the faculty and staff.

The Above and Beyond Award, ESGR’s second-level award, is selected and presented by ESGR field committees to recognize employers at the state level who have gone above and beyond the requirements of the Uniformed Service Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) federal statute that protects servicemembers' and veterans' civilian employment right. 

The Above and Beyond Award is in recognition of significant individual or organizational achievement, initiative, or support that promotes and supports the ESGR mission, to include the efforts of the more than 4,700 volunteers who carry out ESGR’s mission across the Nation on a daily basis.