Patriot Award Presented to MPC's Mike Conger

During a joint Metropolitan Planning Commission and Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) staff meeting on Wednesday, April 15th, Mike Conger was presented the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriot award, submitted by Captain Tarren Barrett.

Mike is Senior Transportation Engineer with the TPO, and Captain Barrett is a part-time Tennessee Air National Guard military member for the 134th Air Refueling Wing out of Knoxville and full-time Transportation Engineer with the TPO.

Photo: From left: Major David Barrett (Captain Barrett’s husband), Deputy Base Civil Engineer at the 134th Air Refueling Wing; Jeff Welch, Director of the Knoxville Regional TPO; Captain Tarren Barrett; Mike Conger; and, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Mul Wyman, an ESGR Committee Member for Tennessee.

“It is because of supportive supervisors like Mike that the strength and readiness of the nation’s Guard and Reserve units can be maintained. I am blessed to have his and the organization’s support,” Captain Barrett said. The Patriot Award was created by ESGR to publicly recognize individuals who provide outstanding patriotic support and cooperation to their employees, who, like the citizen warrior on their team, have answered the nation’s call to serve. ESGR, a Department of Defense office, seeks to foster a culture in which all employers support and value the employment and military services of members of the National Guard and Reserve in the United States. 

We extend our thanks and congratulations to both Mike and Tarren for their service to our agency and our nation!