November is a month filled with expressions of thankfulness. We believe wholeheartedly that it’s no coincidence this month features the celebration of both Veterans Day and the birthday of the United States Marine Corps.
As our company takes time to reflect on what we’re grateful for, top of mind for us are the selfless service of many current and past service members, as well as the contributions of our veteran employees.
Today, on the birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps, we’re taking the opportunity to tell the story of one of our veteran employees. Marine veteran and SDG&E employee Tia Ballard is a shining example of proud service and tradition, as well as the incredible value our veteran employees bring to SDG&E.
A Family of Marines
Tia’s family has an impressive history in the Marine Corps, starting with her grandparents. Her grandmother served in one of the first ever platoons of female Marines. She contributed to the important mission of keeping up morale on the home front by working as a projectionist at the base theater. Her grandfather received a Purple Heart while fighting in Korea at the Chosin Reservoir. Her grandparents were even married on the Marine Corps Recruit Depot parade deck.
Photo caption: Tia's grandparents on their wedding day.
Tia’s father was next to enlist in the Corps. He completed two tours in Vietnam and served for 20 years in the infantry and force reconnaissance. Continuing the family legacy, Tia and her brother also answered the call to serve their country; both enlisted in 1992, leaving for bootcamp within just a few weeks of each other. Tia’s brother followed in their father’s footsteps serving with the infantry in Hawaii while Tia served for five years in IT and communications all over the world before continuing her IT career in the private sector.
Photo caption: Three generations of Marines: Tia, her father, and her brother.
Tia not only brought her technical IT skills with her into her civilian career, she also carried with her from her Marine Corps background values and character traits that drive her success here at SDG&E. Tia exemplifies the Corps’ values of honor, courage, and commitment daily in her leadership as the director of end user computing support and compliance. Her department has an impact on the efficiency and digital safety and reliability of the entire company because of the critical IT services her staff provides, including communications and collaboration platforms, cybersecurity and tech support.
Continuing to Serve
We’re grateful to have Tia for more than what she does at our company, we are also grateful for the contributions she continues to make outside of work.
Tia serves on the board of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Museum Foundation. The foundation supports initiatives to train recruits and provide for the continuing education of Marines, and it serves as a bridge connecting our active-duty personnel and veterans with the civilian community.
Employees like Tia, who bring their diverse background and experiences to work and exemplify our values in the community are the foundation of how we build a better business every day.