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Deerfield Retirement Community Director recieves Patriotic Employer Award

By Senior Master Sgt. Tim Day, 132 FW/PA / Published May 25, 2010

DES MOINES, IA - Brenda Ballard of Deerfield Retirement Community (second from left) is the recipient of a Patriotic Employer award from Iowa Committee of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. She was nominated by Alicia Bollie (second from right), a Deerfield employee and a Staff Sergeant with the Iowa Air National Guard, for Deerfield?s support of employees who are members of the military. At left is Major Kyle Kovarik, 132nd Fighter Wing. At right is Ted Hall, a volunteer with Iowa ESGR.(Civilian photographer)(released)
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DES MOINES, IA - Brenda Ballard of Deerfield Retirement Community (second from left) is the recipient of a Patriotic Employer award from Iowa Committee of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. She was nominated by Alicia Bollie (second from right), a Deerfield employee and a Staff Sergeant with the Iowa Air National Guard, for Deerfield?s support of employees who are members of the military. At left is Major Kyle Kovarik, 132nd Fighter Wing. At right is Ted Hall, a volunteer with Iowa ESGR.(Civilian photographer)(released)

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Des Moines, IA -- Deerfield Retirement Community Director Brenda Ballard received a Patriotic Employer Award on April 17th from Iowa Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). Ballard was nominated for the recognition by Alicia Bollie, a Deerfield employee and a Staff Sergeant with the Air National Guard, for the support Ballard and Deerfield provided to her while she was deployed.

"My boss - Brenda Ballard - deserves this award for allowing me to feel job security. She is a boss who cares about me as a person, not just as another employee," said Bollie. "While I was deployed, Brenda and other coworkers e-mailed frequently to check in on me and to give our residents updates on how I was doing. They also gave my deployed address to our residents and I received letters from those I provide care for. Brenda supports my military service."

"I am so proud of Alicia," said Ballard. "We - Deerfield and this country - need people like her."

Deerfield Retirement Community is part of Lifespace Communities, Inc., founded in 1976 in Des Moines, Iowa. Lifespace Communities is the seventh largest provider of not-for-profit retirement communities nationwide with a network of 11 communities in seven states.

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is a Department of Defense agency established in 1972. Its mission is to gain and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve service by recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of the law, and resolving conflicts.

The Patriotic Employer Award is an award given by ESGR to supportive managers, supervisors, or the company in general to show appreciation from their military-member employee. Employers are nominated for the Patriotic Employer Award by military employees of a company. Every employer nominated for this award receives a certificate and a Patriot pin.