Glen Ridge honors Coach Ira Ford; athletic director Rob Hill receives Patriot Employer Award nomination

The board publicly recognized Coach Ira Ford and the district presented a Patriot Employer Award nomination for Athletic Director Rob Hill during its meeting.

An administrator invited Coach Ira Ford to the podium to mark his retirement after a long military career and 17 years coaching in the district. "We don't have to go through those challenges by ourselves," Coach Ira Ford told the meeting, urging students to use available supports and describing how his employers in the district had supported his military service.

Ford said he nominated his athletic director, Rob Hill, for the Patriot Employer Award, a recognition from the Office of the Secretary of Defense for employers who support National Guard and Reserve service members. Ford described how Hill and a previous athletic director had retained his position and checked on his family while he was deployed, allowing him to return to coaching when he came back from service.

Rob Hill, introduced at the meeting, thanked Coach Ford and praised the district's team effort in supporting student athletes. "It's a privilege to have Coach Ford here on staff," Hill said, and noted the positive impact Ford has on students day in and day out.

The board and audience offered congratulatory remarks; no formal board action was required to receive the award presentation. The district will continue to highlight staff recognitions and plans to invite students recognized in the meeting to future board sessions.