Last month, Regena Pearl, Associate Director of Residential Services, received the Patriotic Employer award from the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Regena was honored to receive this award, but shared that the award and any recognition really belongs to the employees who nominated her.

KVC Prairie Ridge Hospital Receives Award Recognition

The award is given to employers who engage and support military personnel who also work in civilian careers. Regena understands that military employees might have unique needs, but they bring great value to KVC.

“Our military staff members bring their knowledge, leadership and structure to our work environment. They each bring a unique perspective from their military training and experience and those values align well with our work,” Regena shared.

She went on, “The youth enjoy learning about their military training and experience as well. They love to talk about or go do the obstacle course, are excited to learn about military exercises. Some of the youth even enjoy doing push up challenges!”

Regena’s most recent award is her third of its kind. Her history of working with those in the military goes back about 15 years. Pearl was involved in a sports league in the community and noticed military members mentoring youth on a sports team. She was able to engage with the group, get them involved in KVC and even began recruiting staff that way. What began as a conversation after a game turned into a longstanding relationship.

She also understands military life from not only an employer perspective, but from a personal perspective, as she grew up in a military family. “I understand the unique needs of a military family, because I grew up as a part of one. Balancing families, lives and responsibilities is hard for any family, and military families have a unique set of circumstances. Each employee at KVC adds so much value to who we are and what we do. We are proud to have members of the military creating a lasting impact on the youth we serve.”