Brown Mackie College Louisville Receives Prestigious Award For Support of National Guard and Reserves Forces

(LOUISVILLE, Ky. - November 28, 2006) Brown Mackie College - Louisville was presented the "Above and Beyond Award" on behalf of the Kentucky Joint Forces. One of only five employers in the entire state to receive this distinction, Brown Mackie College - Louisville received this award earlier this month on behalf of the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve Forces for outstanding service and continuing support to the National Defense.

The school received this honor because it excelled in providing support to its employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve Forces by practicing military leave policies that exceed those required by law.

MG Donald G. Storm, Adjutant General of the Kentucky Joint Forces, presented the award to Brown Mackie College - Louisville president Holly Helscher on behalf of the Office of the Secretary of Defense's committee for Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). The mission of ESGR is to "gain and maintain active support from all public and private employers for the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve". The nation's reserve components comprise approximately 46% of our total available military manpower. In this environment, civilian employers play a critical role in the defense of the nation by complying with existing employment laws protecting the rights of workers who serve in the Reserve component.

"We never really considered our endeavors to assist our military employees to be 'above and beyond,'" says Holly Helscher, president of Brown Mackie College - Louisville. "It is simply the right thing for us to do. The honor bestowed upon the school really belongs to the staff and faculty who fill in the gaps when their colleagues are on military leave. I could not be more proud of them."

Brown Mackie College - Louisville Dean Thomas Carpenter will serve as a liaison between the school and the ESGR. In this capacity, he will visit area employers to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve component members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee's military commitment.

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