Spotlight on Joseph Pennington, National Military Program Manager for Combined Insurance
Retired Seabee, Joseph Pennington, has a new mission as the National Military Program Manager: to help Reservists, retired military Veterans and military spouses find meaningful careers at Combined Insurance.
We asked Joseph to tell us a little about his background, his current career and why Combined Insurance is so committed to supporting our military.
Combined Insurance:Can you elaborate on your days as a Navy Seabee?
Joseph:I served 12 years as a Navy Seabee; six years as a part of a Seabee Battalion, and six years as a recruiting manager for Naval Recruiting District Chicago.
During my time in the Seabee Battalion, I served as a squad leader during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and Operation New Horizon in 2001.
As a recruiting manager I was responsible for training, goal setting and leading the recruiting staff toward hitting our objectives as well as ensuring the candidates that came through our office were receiving a quality enlistment experience.
Combined Insurance:What attracted you to Combined Insurance?
Joseph:During my interview process with Combined Insurance, I was struck by how seriously the company took its commitment to helping people with military backgrounds.
The company has a well-developed approach to Veteran development. They:
- actively contact service members during their job searches
- support them with specialized classroom training
- provide ongoing support during their careers
- provide mentorships
- support military-focused nonprofits
I was also attracted to the long and storied history of Combined Insurance. I was looking for a strong and stable company that I could grow in and create a career with, and Combined Insurance was the type of company I was looking for.
Combined Insurance: How did your skills in the military translate into skills needed for success at Combined Insurance?
Joseph:I held two jobs at separate times in my military career. First I served as a squad leader, where I developed leadership, team building and training skills.
As a recruiting manager for the Navy, I learned how to create recruiting programs, how to train recruiters and how to create a recruiting process that works for the candidate.
Combined Insurance:Victory Media has named Combined Insurance as the Nation’s #1 Military Friendly Employer for 2 years in a row now. How has the company achieved this honor?
Joseph:Combined Insurance is proud to have been ranked the #1 Military Friendly Employer for two consecutive years by Victory Media.
We find talent through a number of military employment services.
We partner with RecruitMiiltary.com and will attend over 100 of their Veteran job fairs in 2016. We also continue to work with NCOA, Hiring Our Heroes and many local Veteran employment agencies.
We introduced a Veteran Affinity Program in the first quarter of 2016 for our employees with military backgrounds. The goal of the Veteran Affinity Program is to allow them the opportunity to connect and share ideas with people from around the country. This is a great way for our new Veteran employees to participate in mentorship, training and camaraderie through a 24/7 platform.
We also actively participate in charitable giving to military focused nonprofits. This year we partnered with the Jason McKie Foundation to assist Veterans and military families during their time of need.
This expands on the work we already do with Luke’s Wings, NCOA, USO and other Military charities.
Combined Insurance: Why does Combined Insurance place an emphasis on hiring military Veterans, military spouses, and Reservists?
Joseph: At Combined Insurance, we understand the sacrifice and commitment our nation’s Veterans made when serving our country. We feel it is our duty to give back to those, who gave so much. But it also makes great business sense. When we hire a Veteran, Reservists or Guardsman, we know we are getting an individual who possesses leadership skills, independent work ethic and a commitment to accomplishing a task.
Combined Insurance can teach a person our side of the business, but what we can’t teach is the leadership that the individual developed in the service.
NOTE: Combined Insurance is not connected with nor endorsed by the U.S. government