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City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
Contact: Kaylin Martin, Communications Assistant
Phone 952-833-9537 • Fax 952-826-0389 • www.EdinaMN.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City of Edina Selected as Finalist for Department of Defense
Recognition
Edina, Minn., May 22, 2012 – Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of
Defense (DoD) agency, earlier this week announced that the City of Edina Police Department is a finalist for
the 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.
A review board comprised of military and civilian leaders selected 30 finalists from the 3,236 nominations
received earlier this year from Guard and Reserve service members, or family members acting on their behalf.
“We have a longstanding history of supporting military members, which is why we’ve gotten this far in the
program,” said Coast Guard Reservist and Edina Police Officer Rofidal. “When I look around at the high
number of veterans we have employed at the City, it shows the culture of support here. The City of Edina is a
leader in the community for supporting their military members.”
Only 160 employers have received the Freedom Award since it was established in 1996. Employers named as
finalists for the award distinguish themselves not only for adhering to the employment and reemployment
rights of Guard and Reserve members, but for actively creating opportunities to assist and support the service
of both Guard and Reserve employees and their families.
The City of Edina Police Department has a history of supporting Guard and Reserve employees, exhibited
most recently when members of its team joined hurricane relief efforts and aided in the aftermath of the Gulf
of Mexico oil spill on extremely short notice. The department ensured the service members could access
email throughout the deployment, so they could stay connected with colleagues and have an easier transition
upon their return.
“The 2012 Freedom Award finalists demonstrate that outstanding support of Guard and Reserve members is
not limited by an employer’s size, industry or region of the nation,” said ESGR National Chair James G.
Rebholz. “These 30 finalists span the diversity of America’s workforce and prove every employer can go
above and beyond for our Citizen Warriors.”
Between the two, Rofidal and fellow Coast Guard Reservist and Edina Police Officer Brandon Kuske have
been deployed to the 35-W bridge collapse in 2007, Hurricane Ike in 2008, the North Dakota floods in 2009
and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.
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City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
The DoD will announce the 15 recipients of the 2012 Freedom Award early this
summer following completion of a national selection board comprised of senior
DoD officials, business leaders and prior awardees. The 2012 recipients will be
honored with the 17th-annual Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award in Washington, D.C.
in September. Past recipients of the Freedom Award have met privately with the President and Vice President
of the United States, and the Secretary of Defense.
The Freedom Award is the DoD’s highest recognition given to employers for exceptional support of Guard
and Reserve employees.
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