Photo By Rick Emert | FORT CARSON, Colo. — Col. Nate Springer, Fort Carson garrison commander, left, and...... read more read more
By Eric E. Parris
Fort Carson Public Affairs Office
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Fort Carson leaders and community members came together to honor local employers and community partners at the second annual 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson Employer Appreciation Ceremony April 29, 2022, at the Elkhorn Conference Center on Fort Carson.
Eleven employers and three community partners received Steadfast and Loyal Certificates of Appreciation for hiring and providing support to military spouses.
The purpose of this event was to highlight the partnership between Fort Carson and the local employers who hire military spouses, as well as community partners who provide support and programs for the spouses.
“We build partnerships with those employers and community partners who provide services to our clients and spouses that we see here,” said Nicole Mendoza, Fort Carson Employment Readiness Program manager.
The ceremony was a way to recognize those employers and partners who go above and beyond in their support.
“The ceremony is a way to recognize those employers and community partners who have gone above and beyond and are committed to military spouse employment through their partnership with the Employment Readiness Program and through the actual hiring of military spouses,” Mendoza said.
Part of the criteria for selecting the employers was to take a close look at those who consistently send job opportunities and who have hired military spouses, Mendoza said. And for community partners, it’s those who consistently offer programs and services to military spouses and come up with new initiatives.
Fort Carson spouses provide local employers with quality applicants even though they face the challenges of a military lifestyle.
“You all know the secret,” said Col. Nate Springer, Fort Carson garrison commander, during his remarks. “The secret is our 14,000 spouses we have on the installation come to this installation, and they have higher education levels than other people in the community, but they’ve got challenges.
“It’s hard to pick up and move somewhere else and to start over and many of our spouses do that in support of their Soldiers. It comes down to men and women like you, who understand the value that our spouses bring, that understand that should be a population that we target.”
The experience and value military spouses bring to an organization can’t be overlooked.
“Once you get spouses into the organization, you see the unbelievable value that spouses bring,” Springer said.
Monica Robinson, recruiting manager, Army and Air Force Exchange Service at the Colorado Springs Consolidated Exchange and Joel Hamilton, a retired Army colonel and currently the executive director of Human Resources, Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8, were guest speakers at this year’s event.
Robinson talked about her journey as a new AAFES associate in October 2012.
“So many wonderful experiences that I’ve had with the Exchange,” Robinson said. “My ultimate goal is to make sure that I’m able to provide our spouses that opportunity to continue to work.”
Hamilton talked about when he first started working for District 8 and having meetings with school principals. While at first, those meetings were a bit intimidating, he now imagines teachers, custodians, paraprofessionals, secretaries, food service personnel, bus drivers, monitors and students on the first day of school.
“They show up to begin a new year for a cause that’s bigger than themselves, and they overcome obstacles and challenges to learning, and as such, they connect with kids in ways that change lives and open doors to opportunity,” Hamilton said.
Whether you work at the school district or in another job, there are attributes that bring people together.
“The common thread throughout that makes it possible to overcome even the most difficult challenges and get to the good stuff, are the attributes that each of you successfully bring to the table every day as veterans, military spouses and even our children,” Hamilton said.
Employers recognize what military spouses bring to their organizations: maturity, flexibility and resilience.
Those who represented their organizations at the ceremony appreciated the recognition for their support.
Allison Irvin, a recruiter with Our House, an organization that provides services to adults with disabilities, said it was a big and welcomed surprise to be recognized for its support of the military community.
She said Our House is a strong supporter of military spouses and what they bring as valued employees.
Recognizing employers and community partners is a way of giving back for their continued support.
“It’s important for us to highlight the work these companies and organizations are doing to support our military community,” Mendoza said.
| Date Taken: | 04.29.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.13.2022 12:19 |
| Story ID: | 420678 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 24 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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