Military and Veteran ERG Honors Outgoing CEO for Exceptional Support of the Military Community and Veteran Inclusion

Programming example

Honoring a True Ally in ServiceFriday marked the last day for our former CEO, Marc Gorelick at Children’s Minnesota. As leaders of our Military and Veteran Employee Resource Group, Ian and I had the honor of presenting Dr. Gorelick with our ERG challenge coin — a small token of appreciation on behalf of our members for a leader who made a big impact.The history of the military challenge coin demonstrates affiliation with a specific unit or element extending esprit de corps and morale across its proud members. They are a token of appreciation, recognition, and pride for service members; often times being passed on between commanders, and undoubtedly for the recipient-from generation to generation, held closely as a prized possession. For us, our coin was designed to be presented to those who have gone above and beyond, to those who achieved excellence. Dr. Gorelick didn’t just support our ERG from a distance — he stood with us. He spoke at our Veterans Day events, championed our efforts to become a proclaimed Beyond the Yellow Ribbon company (officially presented by the Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota on behalf of the Governor), signed our Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve (ESGR) Statement of Support, and consistently acknowledged our military-connected employees.When I presented the coin, I shared a story with him: the first Veterans Day letter he wrote impacted people in ways we hadn’t seen before. Several employees shared it was the first time they had ever been recognized on Veterans Day at work. That moment left a lasting impression — and it speaks volumes about the culture he helped shape.Dr. Gorelick, your leadership will be missed, but your legacy of inclusion and respect for those who serve will continue to inspire us.Thank you for standing with our military community. 🇺🇸James C. Burroughs II (he/him/his), Elizabeth Franck Thompson, MPH, ACRP-CP Linda Homme, Ryan C. Shiek, MHA, FACHE, Jordan Vandervelde, Josh Oye, MBA, Mark Schumann, MBA, Christa Nichols Swanson, Tracy Nelson, Allen Malicsi, M.A. Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA), Angela Sherburne, MA, Lee Weiland Sara Wiplinger, DNP, APRN, ACCNS-P, CCRN hashtag#LeadershipMatters hashtag#MilitaryERG hashtag#VeteransAtWork hashtag#BeyondTheYellowRibbon hashtag#ChildrensMinnesota hashtag#ChallengeCoin hashtag#ServantLeadership hashtag#VeteranSupport hashtag#InclusionInAction hashtag#MilitaryCommunity hashtag#EmployeeResourceGroup hashtag#VeteransDay hashtag#ThankYouForYourService hashtag#PeopleFirst hashtag#thekidexperts hashtag#militaryadvocacy

Communities

• Military & Veterans

Formats

• Awards & Recognition Event
• Internal Event

Goals

• Connect