Assistant Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (OIA), Joel Sneed, was granted the Patriot Award on April 24, as acknowledged in a recent report from St. Johns County’s official site. The recognition came as an expression of Sneed's commitment to supporting military personnel, a virtue borne from his own tenure in the United States Navy from 1979 to 1983. Rob Lawrence, the Military Outreach Director for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) in Florida, presented the award during a formal ceremony.
Morgan Hughes, an active member in the Florida Army National Guard, nominated Sneed for his unyielding support, which included flexible scheduling and additional time off for training. Sneed’s actions exemplified a workplace ethos that seeks not just to accommodate, but to wholeheartedly embrace the responsibilities and sacrifices of our citizen warriors. "The Patriot Award reflects the efforts made by an individual to support citizen warriors through a wide range of measures," according to the St. Johns County published recognition of Sneed's efforts.
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Department of Defense office founded in 1972, maintains a mission to foster mutual understanding between civilian employers and their employees who are military reservists. The office works to resolve conflicts and promote cooperation that might arise from military commitments. This is facilitated by a volunteer network that spans the nation, with representation in every state and territory, including the District of Columbia, Guam-CNMI, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
