Did you know almost one million people are in the National Guard and the Reserves? These men and women maintain their commitment to the Armed Forces while also managing or pursuing a career. Comcast, one of Florida’s largest Internet service providers, recently reaffirmed its commitment to these patriots at a special event.
Just days ago, Comcast Florida’s leaders and representatives from the employee resource group Veterans Network (VetNet) participated in an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) ceremony to formally renew the company’s pledge to employees of the military community. Former State Senator and current Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller for Palm Beach County Joseph Abruzzo welcomed the intimate audience to Comcast’s West Palm Beach office.
Among the guests were ESGR Director of Employer Outreach and retired AirForce, Peter Caspari, as well as State Chair of Florida ESGR and a retired Major General, Rita Broadway. Caspari and Broadway joined Florida Region Sr. Vice President Jeff Buzzelli and Vice President of Human Resources Carlos Botero to sign the Statement of Support.
The pledge states that Comcast Florida:
- Fully recognizes, honors, and complies with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.
- Will provide our managers and supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve.
- Appreciates the values, leadership, and unique skills Service members bring to the workforce and will encourage opportunities to hire Guardsmen, Reservists, and Veterans.
- Will continually recognize and support our country’s Service members and their families, in peace, in crises, and in war.
Candice Mahoney, VetNet Co-Lead and Tammie Dunlop-Lyon, Co-lead of executive sponsor Jeff Buzzelli were in attendance. They stressed the significance of having supportive companies like Comcast as an employer especially during a deployment.
Dunlop-Lyon, a former Army National Guard member and daughter of a retired Army Command Sergeant Major, described the signing of support as a heartfelt moment.
“It was so meaningful for me to be in the room,” said Dunlop-Lyon. “Having the opportunity to meet Rita Broadway, who led the ceremony which such humbleness, was an honor.”
A special surprise closed out the ceremony. Comcast Construction Specialist and Army Reservist Joseph McElhose presented the ESGR Patriot Award to his manager and director, Germaine Lewis and Rob Arce, respectively. McElhose said Rob has shown full support of his reservist duties and lives out Comcast’s commitment to the military to community. The Patriot 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.
McElhose’s number one concern is making sure his family is taken care of when he is on active duty. He said Comcast and his supervisors have been incredible allies that ensure his family’s wellbeing.
“This means a lot to me,” said McElhose. “I am grateful and proud to work for a company that shows such commitment to our servicemembers and their families.”
Since 2015, Comcast’s military hiring initiative which has resulted in more than 21,000 veteran, National Guard, reserve service members, and military spouse hires. Learn more about Comcast’s commitment to our military community.
