Thanks to his leadership and personnel policies that support employee’s participation in the National Guard and Reserve, Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee received the Patriot Award last month for his support of HCSO employees who are also members of the nation’s National Guard and Reserve.
Appropriately and, for the second time in his career Gee, 52, received the “Patriotic Employer” award from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) presented to him in the name of the Secretary of Defense, by ESGR Florida chairman and Hillsborough County Circuit Court Judge Gregory Holder.
“I feel extremely honored by this award as it means more to me than any others that I have had the privilege of receiving,” Gee said. “I salute those who serve in the National Guard or Reserve.”
ESGR is a Department of Defense organization and is a staff group within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, which is in itself a part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Gee mentioned that the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has scores of employees, sworn and civilian, who also serve the nation’s military in the Guard and Reserves. HCSO also has employees who are on active duty, with some deployed overseas.
“At any given time we have close to 200 active members and I cannot express my appreciation for all the work they do,” Gee said. “They are the ones that deserve our recognition for their sacrifice and for leaving their homes and families to serve our country.”
Sheriff Gee is by no means a stranger to such a spotlight as he is also the recipient of the Boys & Girls Clubs Community Hero Award, recipient of two Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Medals of Valor, as well as the recipient of the Tampa/Hillsborough Human Rights Council award.
In 2007, he was awarded “Sheriff of the Year” by the National Crisis Intervention Team.
A lifelong resident of Hillsborough County, Gee has served the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the community for more than 33years and currently lives in Lithia with his wife, Rhonda.
Gee was first elected Sheriff in 2004. In October, Gee filed his intent to run for a third term as Hillsborough County Sheriff with the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections.
For his second term, Gee ran unopposed and currently no one else has yet filed to run against him.
For more information, please visit www.hcso.tampa.fl.us.
