Page 4 - MILConnection_Spring2019

Charleston Winter Awards Celebration

On January 26th, MIL Charleston celebrated their annual Winter Awards Celebration at the Hyatt Place in historic downtown
Charleston, SC. The food was catered by Cru Catering and featured “Tastes from Around the World” with various stations featuring
samples from Asia, the Caribbean, Italy, and Europe. The DJ eased guests into the mood with everything from jazz to beach music
to a mix of rap sung in the style of Broadway tunes (it took a minute for us all to realize Lea Michelle was singing Coolio’s “Gangster
Paradise”). Then the fun really began! The DJ started spinning some actual dance music, and the dessert stations replaced the dinner
entrees!
The highlight of the evening was, of course, celebrating the longevity of those around us who make MIL such an incredible place
to work each year! Award Recipients Anna Moody (10 years), John Hammond (10 years), Dwayne Pinckney (15 years), Tracey Joe
Brown (20 years), and Peg Kendra with 21 years—received their accolades and certainly felt the love of their cheering teammates!
Congratulations to each of you for such amazing milestones!
And to close out the evening and as a way of giving back to our community, Cru Catering wrapped up our leftover food, so we could
deliver it all the next morning to an organization called “Potluck in the Park.” which feeds the homeless every Sunday.
Thank you, MIL Team Charleston, for an incredible evening of fun and celebration!

Team building in Charleston

In late February, our MIL Charleston team took the opportunity
to spend some well-deserved time outside of the office during
a Tuesday social hour hosted by Locals in Park Circle. MIL
Charleston had the chance to reach beyond “labor categories”
and catch up with friends and coworkers they don’t usually get a
chance to talk to outside of DoS. A local band favorite provided
original songs and covers to make the night more festive and
relaxed.
Social gatherings such as this allow colleagues to form tighter
bonds that improve morale and provide a system of support back
at the office. When teams build natural comradery, complex
projects, problem solving, I.T. or system issues, and meeting
customer requirements become less daunting. Teams at this level
become more likely to lean on each other and feel a greater sense
of accomplishment when challenges arise and are overcome.

This year, MIL Charleston is placing a priority on team
building opportunities and employee recognition events at
select music, sports, and theatrical venues designed to show
our appreciation for the long hours, professionalism, and
dedication of our Charleston-based teams. Our hope is not only
to show appreciation to our MIL employees, but also to build a
community of professionals that provides the highest quality of
service and sets the standard for industry best-practices. Social
events and outings provide the opportunity to build trust and
a better understanding of the many professional hidden talents
many of our team mates bring to MIL.
The social committee in Charleston has an event lined-up for
April and hopes to provide live entertainment from some of MIL’s
own singer/songwriter musicians
4 | The mil connection | Spring 2019