Heavily decorated Army veteran Gary McCarthy, a manager on InspiriTec's Fort Knox team, is recognized for his work ethic as an administrator, mentor, and role model.
VIENNA, Va. , May 30, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Gary M. McCarthy, Jr., InspiriTec's Department of Defense (DOD) Support Center Technical Support Manager at Fort Knox, is the recipient of the 2022 SourceAmerica Honor Roll for Veterans Award.
The award pays tribute to veterans with a service-related disability who have exhibited outstanding achievement in their work.
Gary McCarthy truly fits the bill. He grew up in a single-parent household and joined the Army at age 17. During 23 years in the service, he deployed six times to locations including Kosovo, Bosnia, Sarajevo, and Iraq, plus 14 years stationed in Germany.
He received an astonishing 39 military awards, including a Bronze Star, four Meritorious Service Medals, and nine Army Commendation Medals. He also sustained back injuries, nerve damage, and PTSD. Re-entering civilian life, he applied for a range of jobs, but despite his long Army career in management and administration, he was passed over dozens of times.
"InspiriTec is so proud that our colleague Gary McCarthy has been honored with this national award," said InspiriTec CEO and cofounder John Connolly. "Gary is a true leader who exemplifies the best of our military. He 'leads from the front.' We are fortunate to have Gary apply his skills and virtues in guiding and supporting his teams while providing exemplary service to our customers."
McCarthy said, "I was surprised, very honored, and very humbled" by the award.
When he landed the job at InspiriTec in 2017, he thought, in his own words, "that I died and went to heaven. It was such a relief when I came here. I truly believe that I've found the place I was supposed to."
Hired as an entry-level Tier 1 Contact Center Agent, McCarthy has achieved five promotions in five years, and he now manages a team of more than 80 IT Help Desk professionals.
What's the key to being a good manager? "You have to be able to communicate with people," McCarthy says, "but more than that, you have to understand what their strengths are, what's going on with them, relate to them on a personal level as well as work level."
McCarthy's co-workers were quick with praise. Jeff Carver, Deputy Director of InspiriTec's DoD Fort Knox center, calls McCarthy "a very proficient and understanding servant-leader. He has greatly improved the quality of the service center. I can hand him anything, and I know I can count on him to get it done."
Carver says that many returning veterans experience rejection when they look for jobs. "There's still a stigma attached to military service out there in the world," he says, "but Gary shows that a military background can be great experience for management. He's very reliable and he goes the extra mile."
Karen Goodlett, Case Manager at the Fort Knox office, said, "I am so glad Gary was honored with this award. He has gone through so much, served his country so well, and he is phenomenal at his work. Gary never leaves any employee behind. He's so positive and helpful, as if he's saying, 'Hey, I came here with my own uncertainties, and I can help you.' We need more people like that in this world."
Winners of the SourceAmerica awards were celebrated during the Xforce Conference in Dallas, Texas, May 23-25.
For more information about the SourceAmerica awards, click here. For more on the work and mission of InspiriTec, visit them at InspiriTec.org.
About InspiriTec
InspiriTec provides award-winning Contact Center and IT Help Desk solutions, delivering superior customer service by combining customized technology with affirmative employment of professionals with disabilities, veterans, and disadvantaged individuals. InspiriTec was founded in 2000 by a core management team under the Computer Science program at the University of Pennsylvania. Today, employees perform under an innovative Social Enterprise model that integrates intelligent technology with inspiring compassion to raise the standards of contact center and IT support for businesses, nonprofits, and government organizations.
Media Contact
Dean Marino, InspiriTec, 1 215-574-6714, [email protected]
SOURCE InspiriTec
Share this article