Serving Clients & Country: Jeremiah Blocker

Military service is in the background of many Ocala/Marion County leaders. Often thrusting them into leadership positions early in their careers and greatly influencing how they approach their roles in the private sector. Join us as we hear from Jeremiah Blocker, a decorated combat veteran, attorney, and partner at Douglas Law Firm as he discusses how serving his clients and his country go hand-in-hand.

Featured Nonprofit: The Marion County Veterans Council

Jeremiah Blocker
Partner, Douglas Law Firm

Jeremiah was born and raised in Ocala, Florida, and is a sixth-generation Floridian. He is a graduate of the University of Florida. While attending college, he participated in the Army ROTC program, commissioning as a Second Lieutenant upon graduation. 

Jeremiah served as an Army officer for over 13 years, both on active duty and in the reserves. A veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Jeremiah commanded a Military Police company. In addition to his Army service, Jeremiah served as a Judge Advocate General officer in the Air Force Reserve. He continues his military service in the Florida Army National Guard as a Judge Advocate General officer with the rank of Major. As a decorated combat veteran, Jeremiah has been recognized with several service, commendation, and 

Jeremiah graduated from the Florida Coastal School of Law and continued his legal studies at the University of Miami School of Law in Coral Gables, earning a Master of Law in Real Property Development. In addition to a law degree, Jeremiah has a graduate degree in Business Entrepreneurship from the University of Florida and a graduate degree in Military History from Norwich University in Vermont.

Before transitioning into private practice, Jeremiah served as a state prosecutor in Jacksonville, Florida, and later in the Seventh Judicial Circuit.  Today, as a partner in Douglas Law Firm, Jeremiah concentrates on assisting small businesses and veterans. He practices in the areas of civil and criminal litigation and real estate and land use. 

The Catalyst is hosted by the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership, sponsored by Douglas Law Firm and recorded live at Wiley Productions podcast studios, located in Ocala, Florida. New episodes, guests, and perspectives of leadership premiere twice a month. Follow us on Apple, Amazon, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy podcasts.

Transcript

Natalie McComb: 0:06

The Catalyst, a CEP podcast on bold leadership in the Ocala Metro, hosted by the Ocala Metro Chamber and economic partnership, sponsored by Douglas law firm and recorded live at Wiley Productions podcast studios located in Ocala, Florida. Welcome to the catalyst. I'm your host Natalie McComb, Vice President for the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership Foundation. And I'm joined today by Jeremiah Blocker partner at Douglas law firm. Great to have you on the show. Jeremiah.

@Jeremiah Blocker: 0:41

Oh, thanks for having me. Natalie. I appreciate the opportunity.

Natalie McComb: 0:43

So tell us a little bit about Douglas Law Firm.

@Jeremiah Blocker: 0:46

So Douglas law firm. It was started in Palatka, Florida about 10 years ago by a couple of locals from Jacksonville and St. Augustine and Palatka. Charlie Douglas was the main kind of leader, and Charlie and I have been friends since college at UF 20 years ago. And yeah, and so he started the firm and a couple of us have joined over the years and you know, we've just really have tried to focus on being a hometown firm and kind of servicing the region.

Natalie McComb: 1:13

And how many offices do you have?

@Jeremiah Blocker: 1:14

So we have five offices. Now we have our main office in Palatka. We have one in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, and just open an office in Flagler and also Ocala as well.

Natalie McComb: 1:24

Wow. So a great reach, but I understand you were born and raised right here in Ocala. So tell me what it was like for you growing up?

@Jeremiah Blocker: 1:31

Yeah, well you know, Ocala's great. I'm a sixth-generation Ocalian. And I'm on both sides and just you know, really loved it to grow up kind of in the southwest part of the county. And but you know, my grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins are from here, and so just really enjoyed growing up here. Because of course, Ocala was small and it is growing quite a bit now. But you know, it's really just home for me.

Natalie McComb: 1:56

And what what do you remember most from growing up? Anything you liked to do? Anything that's changed since obviously, you've been here as a young kid?

@Jeremiah Blocker: 2:02

Absolutely. So you know, on my mom's side of the family, they were very involved, my great grandfather, Carl Ray was involved in really developing Silver Springs. So we spent a lot of time there. We went out there, of course, we had Wild Waters at the time, and we spent a lot of time in Silver Springs, and just, you know, just enjoying everything out there. And I think that was an important part of my childhood, just appreciating that kind of the natural beauty. And you know going out to Lake Ker and Lake Weir, spending time out there. But you know, Marion County has so many great areas for you know, kind of outdoor recreation and just, you know, that's kind of the lasting memory that's stuck with me.

Natalie McComb: 2:35

So, certainly something that has not changed over time, as much as they become developed, we still have so many opportunities for folks to enjoy the outdoors. And, and I know that you know, you mentioned being involved in the community, and that public service plays a big part in your family. I understand your father, uncle, and all four of your brothers have served as combat veterans. So what lessons were taught in your home growing up that led you to enlist yourself when the time came?

@Jeremiah Blocker: 3:01

Well, you know, I think just God and country, you know, that was really important. You know, there was certainly no expectation for any of us to join the military. But I think my parents really emphasized, you know, for us growing up that, you know, if you love this country, and you care about it, you got to step up and serve. And so you know, after 911, I was a student at the University of Florida, and I went down, you know, it happened on a Thursday, and by the next week, I enlisted in the military and later got to serve on active duty and actually was a company commander in the reserves. For the 351st and P company here in Ocala. So it was great to come home and command that company over in Iraq and do a couple deployments over there. So, but I think, you know, just that foundation of, you know, giving back to your community, and if you love this country, you know, you got to you know, God finds different ways for us all to serve. But in our family, I guess we were good at soldiering. So that's what we did. So yeah.

Natalie McComb: 3:52

And what a legacy and obviously, something that you all could share as a family. I'm sure some dinner table conversations were probably pretty interesting.

@Jeremiah Blocker: 3:59

It's a big rivalry. It's a big rivalry for sure. Absolutely.

Natalie McComb: 4:03

Have you served, have your family members served in different branches in the military? Or have you all kind of followed the same path? Wow. So yeah, so a whole bunch of experience in

@Jeremiah Blocker: 4:08

We have. So yeah, my oldest brother is a colonel in the Marine Corps. The next one is Colonel Normie. My different levels. And, I know that when you graduated with middle brother just retired from the Army as a field rate officer. Myself, I started out in the army, went to law school, your bachelor's, you entered the Army as a second lieutenant, and spent some time in the Air Force. Actually then went back to the Army National Guard, so a little schizophrenic in my service. My youngest brother is E7 in the Marine Corps. served as an officer in Operation Iraqi Freedom. It's amazing to me the leadership that's required of new college grads right as they enter the service. What was that like? And what lessons did you learn during that experience that you really take with you today in your current role? Well, you know, it's when you look back and think about it, the military provides some the best leadership schools. How to deal with, you know, problems and how to manage resources and people and how to do it the right way. You know, obviously, they're always going to be challenges to that. But I think at a very young age, at 22, I was leading a platoon of, you know, 40-50 soldiers, and that was tough, you know, because I was, frankly, one of the youngest guys there. But I had the responsibility of leading and doing that it's very intimidating. But I think relying on you know, the wise men and women around you, there are a lot of noncommissioned officers that have a lot of experience that some of them been in 15-20 years. And, you know, I had a platoon sergeant that was outstanding, that really helped guide me. So even though I had the responsibility, that leadership responsibility, I had NCOs around, that really helped kind of guide that. And it's an awesome responsibility. I think the military is such a, you know, a leadership development school, if you will. But, you know, one of the things I've tried to take from that is, you know, when you're dealing with people, when you're dealing with resources, is really trying to treat people the right way, focus on the mission, you know, the military has kind of a mindset of, you know, soldiers first, you know, mission always. Right? Or mission first, soldiers always, you know, however that's said, I've heard a phrase different ways over the years. But, the point of that is we have a mission, we have to fulfill that mission. And you can apply that whether you're, you know, running a bakery, or a law firm, or, you know, a doctor's office, but you also got to take care of your people. We got to make sure they feel included, and doesn't mean everyone's gonna get along, or there's not issues that develop with that, you know, but you have to treat people the right way. And also, at the same time, focus on your mission and be good at it.

Natalie McComb: 6:37

Yeah, and there are certainly a lot of parallels with the corporate world, you know, we always talk about people being aligned with the mission and knowing why you're there, right? And what's your, your piece of that mission and making sure that you know, you don't lose touch with that, you know, lose focus. That's wonderful. And I know that you've been recognized with numerous combat medals and commendations. Why was it important for you to continue to serve in the reserves, even after you returned from active duty? Because I'm sure that was a big decision for you and your family?

@Jeremiah Blocker: 7:05

Well it is, and, you know, it's, now I'm kind of on that, you know, one weekend a month, a couple of weeks of the year, but always ends up being more than that. But um, you know, I think it's, you know, our country still has a lot of challenges globally. And, you know, right now, we have conflicts in the Middle East, we have, you know, we kind of got ourselves out of it and now in some ways are getting pulled back into it. There's a lot of uncertainty in the world. And, you know, I take seriously that for us to stay a free people and to protect our country, you have to have people step up and do it, you know, not every American can serve in the military, we're just not built that way. So, you know, we need people to step up and do that, even though my service is insignificant compared to the 1,000s of others that are serving but you know I'm part of a bigger mission. So I think as long as I'm able-bodied and able to do that, I want to do that. I want to set that legacy for my kids. So if they have that calling, you know, hopefully they'll find more engaging things to do than join the military. But at the same time, you know, hopefully, they'll see that we can continue to serve, you know, as long as we can.

Natalie McComb: 8:00

And what does that look like? Help educate me a little bit more. In the reserves? What are the various things that they have you involved in, given your number of leadership experience to? Is it more kind of teaching and training the next generation? Or what does that look like?

@Jeremiah Blocker: 8:13

Sure. So for me, so I have a Combat Arms background, and then I went to law school and became a JAG officer. So Judge Advocate General's Officer. So for me in the National Guard, you know, we have a lot of, you know, we get called for natural disasters. And so every time a hurricane season comes, we get called out. So yeah, exactly. It's foreign to us here. But, you know, so we have, you know, the National Guard also is called on to support a lot of our missions globally. So we had soldiers from the Florida National Guard in the Ukraine, when they were invaded by Russia, we pulled them out, but they were training the Ukrainian military. We have soldiers in the Middle East right now. So you know, we have a lot of soldiers on the southwest border mission. So there's a lot of combat missions, a lot of humanitarian missions that the guard steps up to do. During Iraq, Afghanistan, the Florida Guard was all over the Middle East, we lost a lot of soldiers in both those conflicts. So but for me, you know, as a brigade legal advisor, I advise, you know, a brigade commander and his staff on different legal challenges that come up. Whether it's a court martial, whether it's just different discipline issues. So I've kind of, you know, I got hurt in the military. So I kind of transition from that to a little bit more of the legal aspect of it. But, you know, there's a lot of domestic operations stuff, you know, with the National Guard, you know, our interplay with the civilian authorities. And so it's exciting to see that role. And, you know, we've seen a lot of that, since, you know, the last presidential election, there's been a lot of kind of, you know, challenges have come up with how the military is used and utilized to restore order and discipline and so certainly, certainly a busy time for military lawyers.

Natalie McComb: 9:51

Yeah. And you know, you mentioned JAG. What made you want to study law after after being in the service? Because I know that was a decision you made. And, you know, after having served for a number of years, so, so why law?

@Jeremiah Blocker: 10:03

Well, you know, I want to be a history professor and my parents were like, Well, look, you know, that's, you're not gonna live at home anymore. Right. So, you know, I think I was interested in arguing. And, you know, always had, you know, strong opinions. So I went to law school and met my wife there and we just...both of our legal careers took off. But, I was a prosecutor for a number of years. And I got to prosecute a lot of criminal cases up in Jacksonville, and also in Palatka, as well. I worked there and that circuit, and definitely enjoy doing that. That's a tough job, though. It's tough handling some of those tough cases. And, you know, whether it's, you know, attempted murder case, or, you know, child abuse case, you know, those are tough, it takes its toll. But, um, you know, I think doing that and serving that role, it's you know, I enjoyed being able to use my talents to help people and you can certainly do that as a lawyer.

Natalie McComb: 10:56

Yeah. And you referenced, you know, some of the areas that you practice in, you know, I understand is civil, criminal litigation, real estate and land use. And I know that no two cases are exactly the same. Right, but you've developed I'm sure, some areas of focus, what areas are those? Or what type of cases are you most excited to take on?

Unknown: 11:14

Sure. Well, you know, I love real estate law and I love equestrian law. I think they're, they're fascinating and, you know, being from Ocala, you know, we have a lot of horses here, and we have a lot of real estate. So I think that's just a fun area. And, you know, generally that's where people are, you know, having fun and doing some fun stuff with real estate and, and equestrian law. You know, obviously, I was a criminal prosecutor. So, you know, I'm good at that. It's not necessarily my passion area. But I've, you know, handled quite a few criminal cases on the military and as a prosecutor, as a defense attorney, a lot of trials. So I have a great trial record. But you know, also, I was involved in politics for a while. I was a county commissioner in St. Johns County. So, you know, as chairman of the board there, so I'm a recovering politician. But, you know, Laney's law plays a role in that and local governments. So you know, our firm represents a lot of local governments as well, you know, outside St. Johns County. And I enjoy that role. Because, you know, it's tough, being an elected local official and making tough decisions. And being in Publix and trying to buy milk with your kids and people saying, hey, why wasn't the trash picked up? Or, why is this road being approved here and not there? Why's a sidewalk on this side of the street and not the other, and you have to be able to answer those questions and really be responsive to the voters. So yeah.

Natalie McComb: 12:25

But, what a great perspective you were able to gain I'm sure through that service, because being on the other side, right, you know, then you could see what it was like when, you know, your elected officials are working with attorneys, right and have attorneys who may be questioning, you know, why something's going here, or why you're changing the zoning. So I'm sure that kind of gave you a new appreciation for that too. And kind of widened your perspective on, you know, why some of those decisions are made as well.

@Jeremiah Blocker: 12:49

It certainly does. It's humbling as well. And it helps you helps you understand what people are going through and kind of their challenges as they work their way through, you know, the day-to-day stuff. So yeah.

Natalie McComb: 12:57

And I think I speak for many when I say that, I hope I never have to contact a lawyer.

@Jeremiah Blocker: 13:01

Oh, for sure.

Natalie McComb: 13:02

I'm sorry, to my brother who practices law in St. Louis. But what do you want the public to understand? When they consider you know, hey, do you need legal advice? Do I need to talk to a lawyer? What do you want them to kind of think about?

@Jeremiah Blocker: 13:16

For sure. Well, yeah, the relationships important, you know, being a lawyer, as a trusted legal adviser. And whether it's something as simple as a real estate transaction, or, you know, your spouse got a DUI. I mean, having that trusted relationship, you have to, you have to really trust your legal adviser. You really want to make sure the relationship works just like your doctor, right? When you go to a doctor, you know, they're, it's impacting you, it's impacting your health. You know, lawyers, unfortunately, we're called in sometimes to, you know, fix problems that are really difficult for people and to try to help them navigate a very complex situation. Other times, it's more exciting, you know, hey, we're buying this, we're doing this, we want to develop this and, but really having a trusted relationship is important and really being able to trust the attorney and let them guide you is very important.

Natalie McComb: 14:02

So obviously, with multiple offices, I'm sure Douglas law firm is continuing to grow and obviously, branch into new areas and get new clients. How does the team stay together? How would you describe the culture there that keeps you all focused on your mission?

@Jeremiah Blocker: 14:16

Well, you know, I really, I've used the law firm, really, as family, you know, It's tough practicing law. Different law firms and different kinds of that corporate, whether it's a big law firm, or you know, some of the different challenges that come with that. I love the family-oriented culture there. You know, my wife knows all the wives and other partners and attorneys and the secretaries and we all get to know each other's families. So we really try to treat it as a family-oriented atmosphere. And, you know, I think that's so important. It's a stressful job and you're dealing with clients that have a lot of stress in their lives. So I think bringing as much of the family together and being able to you know, we all can work other places. And work other jobs and in some cases probably make more money but you know, we choose to work here and really, you spend the majority of your time, you know, five days out of seven with your work colleagues. And you want to be with people that are like-minded that share the same value system. That, you know, are okay with you spending time with your kids when you need to and taking that day off to spend time with your daughter or your son. So I liked that atmosphere. And I like having that atmosphere. And I think it's important to foster that. I love that about our firm.

Natalie McComb: 15:20

Yeah, your work family. Right?

@Jeremiah Blocker: 15:22

Absolutely.

Natalie McComb: 15:22

And I'm sure you have to lead by example on that, too. And making sure you're taking time for your family and yourself.

@Jeremiah Blocker: 15:27

Absolutely.

Natalie McComb: 15:27

Yeah. And we give our guests the opportunity to highlight a nonprofit that they're involved with or are passionate about. I'm personally grateful to Douglas Law Firm's support as sponsor of this show, The Catalyst. And but I'm sure that there's many organizations that you know, benefit from the support of Douglas law firm or that you, you know, may be involved with over the years. Is there one in particular you want

@Jeremiah Blocker: 15:50

Yeah, absolutely. I think, you know, to highlight today? the Veterans Counsel of Marion County is outstanding. And I think the way that they support our veteran community is so important. Not just, you know, the veterans that we see in parades on the Fourth of July or Memorial Day, I mean, really just digging into the, you know, we have a lot of homeless veterans in our community, we have a lot of female veterans that, you know, again, just as we've seen a transition over the last couple of decades with with more women serving in the military, sometimes that's a forgotten class of veterans. And I think the Veterans Council here does an outstanding job of recognizing, but also developing tangible ways to support people. You know, a lot of times our veterans come out, and you know, they've kind of lost their place in the community, they spent 20 years, 30 years in the military, they don't know really how to fit in. So our Veterans Council here in Marion County does a great job. And man, you know, we're just proud to have a team there that knows how to serve our veteran community. So,

Natalie McComb: 16:46

And, you know, I think the other piece of it is, that's important. is when you look at it, you know, the needs, as you mentioned, you have a lot of folks that, when they leave from the military, they have had great leadership experience, right, they just may not know quite how to use it. And I know, some of the services they provide are helping to connect veterans with employment opportunities, which is important because there's a lot that our veterans can bring to a variety of organizations.

@Jeremiah Blocker: 17:09

Absolutely. The other challenge is to, you know, we're dealing with for the last 20 years, we've spent, you know, a lot of young people over overseas to Iraq and Afghanistan, our ongoing conflicts with a lot of PTSD and substance abuse issues that come with anxiety, and we're exposing a whole generation of people to, you know, warfare and conflict and very similar to probably what our parents experienced in the Vietnam era. But you know, we're set up a little differently today than probably our parents generations were. So I think it's important to recognize that the multi generations of veterans have had different experiences. People are way more supportive today than probably my dad was in Vietnam. But you know, it's still important to show that appreciation and also the tangible ways to home.

Natalie McComb: 17:50

And now a word from our sponsor.

@Sponsor: Douglas Law Firm: 17:53

Hello, I am Charlie Douglas with the Douglas law firm. We are a full-service law firm with many practice areas to serve your particular needs. The Douglas law firm is located in downtown Ocala at 110 North Magnolia Avenue, give us a call today for a free consultation or visit us at DHC lawyers.com.

Natalie McComb: 18:18

Well now, Jeremiah, it's time for our lightning round questions to get to know you a little better. What's your favorite Ocala hotspot?

@Jeremiah Blocker: 18:25

Well, we just love WEC. So, my daughter, my oldest daughter is turning 8 she just loves the horses there. So we love going there and spending time there. So it's just such a great environment So Ocala right? We really enjoy it.

Natalie McComb: 18:39

What's the best part about living in Ocala?

Unknown: 18:41

Well, I think you know, really just kind of going out and the recreation here. I mean, I love that you know, you can go on the nature trails and go out to the lake and you know, take the jet skis out. Just absolutely love that and you know, our family loves just experiencing Ocala so especially being outdoors.

Natalie McComb: 18:56

Yeah. Now, what's one thing that you wish Ocala had that it doesn't have yet? Ditto yeah ditto. That's a question that

@Jeremiah Blocker: 19:00

Really? Costcos. our CEO, Kevin Sheilley at the CEP gets often and he always has to answer not sure. Well, we gotta get one.

Natalie McComb: 19:12

We'd welcomed them with open arms if they were listening to this. But I agree. Yes, a Costco would be great. And who is a leader that you admire?

@Jeremiah Blocker: 19:22

I really liked President Reagan. I think just growing up in the 80's. You know, I was born in 79. And most of my childhood really Reagan was our president. I remember being a young officer at Fort Leonardwood in Missouri, when President Reagan passed away and just the emotion that, you know, all the soldiers gathering together and just kind of mourning that and just realizing so many of my colleagues, you know, many of us joined the military because we were inspired by his leadership and you know, he certainly wasn't perfect. No politician is, but have always admired him and appreciate it. You know, in my childhood, he seemed to bring a sense of security and confidence and that kind of hope, the American dream and it's morning in America against that's always resonated with me that kind of optimism. And again, not perfect, he had his flaws, but he's someone I've certainly looked up to.

Natalie McComb: 20:09

And who doesn't need that? Right. A little bit of hope.

@Jeremiah Blocker: 20:11

Absolutely. Yeah.

Natalie McComb: 20:13

Well, thank you so much. Again, we're here with Jeremiah Blocker partner at Douglas law firm. Thank you so much for being on the show today with us.

@Jeremiah Blocker: 20:20

Thank you for having me.

Natalie McComb: 20:21

Really appreciate it.

@Jeremiah Blocker: 20:22

Yes, ma'am. Thank you.

Natalie McComb: 20:26

Thank you for joining us for another episode of The Catalyst hosted by the Ocala Metro Chamber and economic partnership, sponsored by Douglas law firm and recorded live at Wiley Productions podcast studios. New episodes, guests and perspectives on leadership premiere twice a month. Follow us on Apple, Amazon, Spotify or wherever you enjoy your podcasts. Have a suggestion for a future guest email us at the catalyst at OcalaCEP.com