Photo By Joseph Siemandel | From Left to Right: Lt. Col. Josh Barrow, commander of the 898th Brigade Engineer...... read more read more
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Being in the Guard means finding that critical balance between serving as a citizen-soldier and holding down a full-time job, especially when Guardsmen get called to service. Lt. Col. Joshua Barrow, commander of the 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion, wanted to find a way to honor his Redmond employer, DriveShop.
“When I got off active duty, I didn’t know what to expect, but I wanted to continue serving while settling down and starting our family,” said Barrow. “I have found that balance in the Washington National Guard and with DriveShop.”
Barrow reached out to the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a U.S. Defense Department program that promotes cooperation and understanding between civilian employers and their National Guard and Reserve employees. Barrow is the chief operating officer of the company and noted that he wanted to give special recognition to his company’s team efforts for covering for him when he gets called away to service.
DriveShop is a marketing and professional services company serving original equipment manufacturers and their agency partners. They produce media and marketing programs and events to showcase the latest makes and models in the auto industry.
During a ceremony at the corporate offices, Barrow honored Marty and Mary Jo Mehl, the founders of DriveShop, with the ESGR Patriot award. The first in ESGR's series of awards is the Patriot Award. The award reflects the efforts made to support citizen-warriors through a wide range of measures including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families and granting leaves of absence if needed.
“I have to say thank you so much to Marty and Mary Jo for their trust, faith and friendship,” said Barrow. “They also were at my change of command and this meant a great deal to me and my family, and really your support has been phenomenal.”
The staff at DriveShop was present to observe the presentation of the award and learn about the National Guard and Reserves.
“When we were considering Josh for an executive position as COO at DriveShop, we had some initial concerns over his National Guard and Reserve training demands,” said Mary Jo. “But we also believed that if he could lead within those ranks, he could bring great skill in helping to lead our organization. Any hesitation we had with Josh’s training schedule vanished quickly.”
The Mehl family credit Barrow’s skills as a decisive leader who managed them through a critical reorganization, including rebuilding teams, upgrading technology and streamlining operations.
“Josh is unwavering in the company’s strategic mission and is highly accountable and a committed leader,” said Marty. “There is no doubt that our company is the beneficiary of the skills and values Josh develops in the National Guard and Reserve.”
Because of Barrow’s work at DriveShop, the company now includes recruitment of active and retired National Guard and Reservists in their talent acquisition strategy.
“As company owners, we also feel it’s the least we can do to support our service members,” said Marty. “We are committed to doing our share in part by supporting members of the military who make personal sacrifices to protect our country here and around the world every day.”
| Date Taken: | 02.11.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 02.11.2020 13:49 |
| Story ID: | 362600 |
| Location: | REDMOND, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 384 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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