January 21, 2024 • 21 mins
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.
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Natalie McComb (00:06):
The Catalyst, a CEP podcast on bold leadership
in the Ocala Metro, hosted bythe Ocala Metro Chamber and
economic partnership, sponsoredby Douglas law firm and recorded
live at Wiley Productionspodcast studios located in
Ocala, Florida. Welcome to thecatalyst. I'm your host Natalie
(00:31):
McComb, Vice President for theOcala Metro Chamber and Economic
Partnership Foundation. And I'mjoined today by Jeremiah Blocker
partner at Douglas law firm.
Great to have you on the show.
Jeremiah.
@Jeremiah Blocker (00:41):
Oh, thanks for having me. Natalie. I
appreciate the opportunity.
Natalie McComb (00:43):
So tell us a little bit about Douglas Law
Firm.
@Jeremiah Blocker (00:46):
So Douglas law firm. It was started in
Palatka, Florida about 10 yearsago by a couple of locals from
Jacksonville and St. Augustineand Palatka. Charlie Douglas was
the main kind of leader, andCharlie and I have been friends
since college at UF 20 yearsago. And yeah, and so he started
the firm and a couple of us havejoined over the years and you
(01:07):
know, we've just really havetried to focus on being a
hometown firm and kind ofservicing the region.
Natalie McComb (01:13):
And how many offices do you have?
@Jeremiah Blocker (01:14):
So we have five offices. Now we have our
main office in Palatka. We haveone in St. Augustine,
Jacksonville, and just open anoffice in Flagler and also Ocala
as well.
Natalie McComb (01:24):
Wow. So a great reach, but I understand you were
born and raised right here inOcala. So tell me what it was
like for you growing up?
@Jeremiah Blocker (01:31):
Yeah, well you know, Ocala's great. I'm a
sixth-generation Ocalian. AndI'm on both sides and just you
know, really loved it to grow upkind of in the southwest part of
the county. And but you know, mygrandparents and aunts and
uncles and cousins are fromhere, and so just really enjoyed
growing up here. Because ofcourse, Ocala was small and it
is growing quite a bit now. Butyou know, it's really just home
(01:55):
for me.
Natalie McComb (01:56):
And what what do you remember most from growing
up? Anything you liked to do?
Anything that's changed sinceobviously, you've been here as a
young kid?
@Jeremiah Blocker (02:02):
Absolutely.
So you know, on my mom's side ofthe family, they were very
involved, my great grandfather,Carl Ray was involved in really
developing Silver Springs. So wespent a lot of time there. We
went out there, of course, wehad Wild Waters at the time, and
we spent a lot of time in SilverSprings, and just, you know,
just enjoying everything outthere. And I think that was an
important part of my childhood,just appreciating that kind of
the natural beauty. And you knowgoing out to Lake Ker and Lake
(02:25):
Weir, spending time out there.
But you know, Marion County hasso many great areas for you
know, kind of outdoor recreationand just, you know, that's kind
of the lasting memory that'sstuck with me.
Natalie McComb (02:35):
So, certainly something that has not changed
over time, as much as theybecome developed, we still have
so many opportunities for folksto enjoy the outdoors. And, and
I know that you know, youmentioned being involved in the
community, and that publicservice plays a big part in your
family. I understand yourfather, uncle, and all four of
your brothers have served ascombat veterans. So what lessons
(02:57):
were taught in your home growingup that led you to enlist
yourself when the time came?
@Jeremiah Blocker (03:01):
Well, you know, I think just God and
country, you know, that wasreally important. You know,
there was certainly noexpectation for any of us to
join the military. But I thinkmy parents really emphasized,
you know, for us growing upthat, 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, Iwas a student at the University
of Florida, and I went down, youknow, it happened on a Thursday,
(03:21):
and by the next week, I enlistedin the military and later got to
serve on active duty andactually was a company commander
in the reserves. For the 351stand P company here in Ocala. So
it was great to come home andcommand that company over in
Iraq and do a couple deploymentsover there. So, but I think, you
know, just that foundation of,you know, giving back to your
(03:42):
community, and if you love thiscountry, you know, you got to
you know, God finds differentways for us all to serve. But in
our family, I guess we were goodat soldiering. So that's what we
did. So yeah.
Natalie McComb (03:52):
And what a legacy and obviously, something
that you all could share as afamily. I'm sure some dinner
table conversations wereprobably pretty interesting.
@Jeremiah Blocker (03:59):
It's a big rivalry. It's a big rivalry for
sure. Absolutely.
Natalie McComb (04:03):
Have you served, have your family members served
in different branches in themilitary? Or have you all kind
of followed the same path?
Wow. So yeah, soa whole bunch of experience in
@Jeremiah Blocker (04:08):
We have. So yeah, my oldest brother is a
colonel in the Marine Corps. Thenext one is Colonel Normie. My
different levels. And, I knowthat when you graduated with
middle brother just retired fromthe Army as a field rate
officer. Myself, I started outin the army, went to law school,
your bachelor's, you entered theArmy as a second lieutenant, and
spent some time in the AirForce. Actually then went back
to the Army National Guard, so alittle schizophrenic in my
(04:29):
service. My youngest brother isE7 in the Marine Corps.
served as an officer inOperation Iraqi Freedom. It's
amazing to me the leadershipthat's required of new college
(04:50):
grads right as they enter theservice. What was that like? And
what lessons did you learnduring that experience that you
really take with you today inyour current role?
Well, youknow, it's when you look back
and think about it, the militaryprovides some the best
leadership schools. How to dealwith, you know, problems and how
to manage resources and peopleand how to do it the right way.
You know, obviously, they'realways going to be challenges to
(05:12):
that. But I think at a veryyoung age, at 22, I was leading
a platoon of, you know, 40-50soldiers, and that was tough,
you know, because I was,frankly, one of the youngest
guys there. But I had theresponsibility of leading and
doing that it's veryintimidating. But I think
relying on you know, the wisemen and women around you, there
(05:32):
are a lot of noncommissionedofficers that have a lot of
experience that some of thembeen in 15-20 years. And, you
know, I had a platoon sergeantthat was outstanding, that
really helped guide me. So eventhough I had the responsibility,
that leadership responsibility,I had NCOs around, that really
helped kind of guide that. Andit'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 thingsI've tried to take from that is,
(05:56):
you know, when you're dealingwith people, when you're dealing
with resources, is really tryingto treat people the right way,
focus on the mission, you know,the military has kind of a
mindset of, you know, soldiersfirst, you know, mission always.
Right? Or mission first,soldiers always, you know,
however that's said, I've hearda phrase different ways over the
years. But, the point of that iswe have a mission, we have to
(06:16):
fulfill that mission. And youcan apply that whether you're,
you know, running a bakery, or alaw firm, or, you know, a
doctor's office, but you alsogot to take care of your people.
We got to make sure they feelincluded, and doesn't mean
everyone's gonna get along, orthere's not issues that develop
with that, you know, but youhave to treat people the right
way. And also, at the same time,focus on your mission and be
good at it.
Natalie McComb (06:37):
Yeah, and there are certainly a lot of parallels
with the corporate world, youknow, we always talk about
people being aligned with themission and knowing why you're
there, right? And what's your,your piece of that mission and
making sure that you know, youdon't lose touch with that, you
know, lose focus. That'swonderful. And I know that
you've been recognized withnumerous combat medals and
commendations. Why was itimportant for you to continue to
(06:59):
serve in the reserves, evenafter you returned from active
duty? Because I'm sure that wasa big decision for you and your
family?
@Jeremiah Blocker (07:05):
Well it is, and, you know, it's, now I'm
kind of on that, you know, oneweekend a month, a couple of
weeks of the year, but alwaysends 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, wehave conflicts in the Middle
East, we have, you know, we kindof got ourselves out of it and
now in some ways are gettingpulled back into it. There's a
lot of uncertainty in the world.
And, you know, I take seriouslythat for us to stay a free
(07:28):
people and to protect ourcountry, you have to have people
step up and do it, you know, notevery American can serve in the
military, we're just not builtthat way. So, you know, we need
people to step up and do that,even though my service is
insignificant compared to the1,000s of others that are
serving but you know I'm part ofa bigger mission. So I think as
long as I'm able-bodied and ableto do that, I want to do that. I
(07:48):
want to set that legacy for mykids. So if they have that
calling, you know, hopefullythey'll find more engaging
things to do than join themilitary. But at the same time,
you know, hopefully, they'll seethat we can continue to serve,
you know, as long as we can.
Natalie McComb (08:00):
And what does that look like? Help educate me
a little bit more. In thereserves? What are the various
things that they have youinvolved in, given your number
of leadership experience to? Isit more kind of teaching and
training the next generation? Orwhat does that look like?
@Jeremiah Blocker (08:13):
Sure. So for me, so I have a Combat Arms
background, and then I went tolaw school and became a JAG
officer. So Judge AdvocateGeneral's Officer. So for me in
the National Guard, you know, wehave a lot of, you know, we get
called for natural disasters.
And so every time a hurricaneseason comes, we get called out.
So yeah, exactly. It's foreignto us here. But, you know, so we
have, you know, the NationalGuard also is called on to
(08:33):
support a lot of our missionsglobally. So we had soldiers
from the Florida National Guardin the Ukraine, when they were
invaded by Russia, we pulledthem out, but they were training
the Ukrainian military. We havesoldiers in the Middle East
right now. So you know, we havea lot of soldiers on the
southwest border mission. Sothere's a lot of combat
missions, a lot of humanitarianmissions that the guard steps up
(08:55):
to do. During Iraq, Afghanistan,the Florida Guard was all over
the Middle East, we lost a lotof soldiers in both those
conflicts. So but for me, youknow, as a brigade legal
advisor, I advise, you know, abrigade commander and his staff
on different legal challengesthat come up. Whether it's a
court martial, whether it's justdifferent discipline issues. So
I've kind of, you know, I gothurt in the military. So I kind
(09:18):
of transition from that to alittle bit more of the legal
aspect of it. But, you know,there's a lot of domestic
operations stuff, you know, withthe National Guard, you know,
our interplay with the civilianauthorities. And so it's
exciting to see that role. And,you know, we've seen a lot of
that, since, you know, the lastpresidential election, there's
(09:39):
been a lot of kind of, you know,challenges have come up with how
the military is used andutilized to restore order and
discipline and so certainly,certainly a busy time for
military lawyers.
Natalie McComb (09:51):
Yeah. And you know, you mentioned JAG. What
made you want to study law afterafter being in the service?
Because I know that was adecision you made. And, you
know, after having served for anumber of years, so, so why law?
@Jeremiah Blocker (10:03):
Well, you know, I want to be a history
professor and my parents werelike, Well, look, you know,
that's, you're not gonna live athome anymore. Right. So, you
know, I think I was interestedin arguing. And, you know,
always had, you know, strongopinions. So I went to law
school and met my wife there andwe just...both of our legal
(10:25):
careers took off. But, I was aprosecutor for a number of
years. And I got to prosecute alot of criminal cases up in
Jacksonville, and also inPalatka, as well. I worked there
and that circuit, and definitelyenjoy doing that. That's a tough
job, though. It's tough handlingsome of those tough cases. And,
you know, whether it's, youknow, attempted murder case, or,
you know, child abuse case, youknow, those are tough, it takes
(10:47):
its toll. But, um, you know, Ithink doing that and serving
that role, it's you know, Ienjoyed being able to use my
talents to help people and youcan 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 estateand land use. And I know that no
two cases are exactly the same.
Right, but you've developed I'msure, some areas of focus, what
areas are those? Or what type ofcases 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, youknow, we have a lot of horses
here, and we have a lot of realestate. So I think that's just a
fun area. And, you know,generally that's where people
are, you know, having fun anddoing some fun stuff with real
estate and, and equestrian law.
You know, obviously, I was acriminal prosecutor. So, you
know, I'm good at that. It's notnecessarily my passion area. But
(11:36):
I've, you know, handled quite afew criminal cases on the
military and as a prosecutor, asa defense attorney, a lot of
trials. So I have a great trialrecord. But you know, also, I
was involved in politics for awhile. I was a county
commissioner in St. JohnsCounty. So, you know, as
chairman of the board there, soI'm a recovering politician.
But, you know, Laney's law playsa role in that and local
(11:58):
governments. So you know, ourfirm represents a lot of local
governments as well, you know,outside St. Johns County. And I
enjoy that role. Because, youknow, it's tough, being an
elected local official andmaking tough decisions. And
being in Publix and trying tobuy milk with your kids and
people saying, hey, why wasn'tthe trash picked up? Or, why is
this road being approved hereand not there? Why's a sidewalk
on this side of the street andnot the other, and you have to
(12:19):
be able to answer thosequestions and really be
responsive to the voters. Soyeah.
Natalie McComb (12:25):
But, what a great perspective you were able
to gain I'm sure through thatservice, because being on the
other side, right, you know,then you could see what it was
like when, you know, yourelected officials are working
with attorneys, right and haveattorneys who may be
questioning, you know, whysomething's going here, or why
you're changing the zoning. SoI'm sure that kind of gave you a
new appreciation for that too.
And kind of widened yourperspective on, you know, why
some of those decisions are madeas well.
@Jeremiah Blocker (12:49):
It certainly does. It's humbling as well. And
it helps you helps youunderstand what people are going
through and kind of theirchallenges as they work their
way through, you know, theday-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 alawyer.
@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 thepublic to understand? When they
consider you know, hey, do youneed legal advice? Do I need to
talk to a lawyer? What do youwant them to kind of think
about?
@Jeremiah Blocker (13:16):
For sure.
Well, yeah, the relationshipsimportant, you know, being a
lawyer, as a trusted legaladviser. And whether it's
something as simple as a realestate transaction, or, you
know, your spouse got a DUI. Imean, having that trusted
relationship, you have to, youhave to really trust your legal
adviser. You really want to makesure the relationship works just
like your doctor, right? Whenyou go to a doctor, you know,
they're, it's impacting you,it's impacting your health. You
(13:38):
know, lawyers, unfortunately,we're called in sometimes to,
you know, fix problems that arereally difficult for people and
to try to help them navigate avery complex situation. Other
times, it's more exciting, youknow, hey, we're buying this,
we're doing this, we want todevelop this and, but really
having a trusted relationship isimportant and really being able
to trust the attorney and letthem guide you is very
(14:01):
important.
Natalie McComb (14:02):
So obviously, with multiple offices, I'm sure
Douglas law firm is continuingto grow and obviously, branch
into new areas and get newclients. How does the team stay
together? How would you describethe 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, youknow, It's tough practicing law.
Different law firms anddifferent kinds of that
corporate, whether it's a biglaw firm, or you know, some of
the different challenges thatcome with that. I love the
family-oriented culture there.
You know, my wife knows all thewives and other partners and
attorneys and the secretariesand we all get to know each
other's families. So we reallytry to treat it as a
(14:38):
family-oriented atmosphere. And,you know, I think that's so
important. It's a stressful joband you're dealing with clients
that have a lot of stress intheir lives. So I think bringing
as much of the family togetherand being able to you know, we
all can work other places. Andwork other jobs and in some
cases probably make more moneybut you know, we choose to work
here and really, you spend themajority of your time, you know,
(14:58):
five days out of seven with yourwork colleagues. And you want to
be with people that arelike-minded that share the same
value system. That, you know,are okay with you spending time
with your kids when you need toand taking that day off to spend
time with your daughter or yourson. So I liked that atmosphere.
And I like having thatatmosphere. And I think it's
important to foster that. I lovethat 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'retaking 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 thatthey're involved with or are
passionate about. I'm personallygrateful to Douglas Law Firm's
support as sponsor of this show,The Catalyst. And but I'm sure
that there's many organizationsthat you know, benefit from the
support of Douglas law firm orthat you, you know, may be
(15:48):
involved with over the years. Isthere one in particular you want
@Jeremiah Blocker (15:50):
Yeah, absolutely. I think, you know,
to highlight today?
the Veterans Counsel of MarionCounty is outstanding. And I
think the way that they supportour veteran community is so
important. Not just, you know,the veterans that we see in
parades on the Fourth of July orMemorial Day, I mean, really
just digging into the, you know,we have a lot of homeless
veterans in our community, wehave a lot of female veterans
(16:10):
that, you know, again, just aswe've seen a transition over the
last couple of decades with withmore women serving in the
military, sometimes that's aforgotten class of veterans. And
I think the Veterans Councilhere does an outstanding job of
recognizing, but also developingtangible ways to support people.
You know, a lot of times ourveterans come out, and you know,
they've kind of lost their placein the community, they spent 20
(16:30):
years, 30 years in the military,they don't know really how to
fit in. So our Veterans Councilhere in Marion County does a
great job. And man, you know,we're just proud to have a team
there that knows how to serveour 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, youknow, the needs, as you
mentioned, you have a lot offolks that, when they leave from
the military, they have hadgreat leadership experience,
right, they just may not knowquite how to use it. And I know,
some of the services theyprovide are helping to connect
veterans with employmentopportunities, which is
important because there's a lotthat our veterans can bring to a
(17:07):
variety of organizations.
@Jeremiah Blocker (17:09):
Absolutely.
The other challenge is to, youknow, we're dealing with for the
last 20 years, we've spent, youknow, a lot of young people over
overseas to Iraq andAfghanistan, our ongoing
conflicts with a lot of PTSD andsubstance abuse issues that come
with anxiety, and we're exposinga whole generation of people to,
you know, warfare and conflictand very similar to probably
what our parents experienced inthe Vietnam era. But you know,
(17:29):
we're set up a littledifferently today than probably
our parents generations were. SoI think it's important to
recognize that the multigenerations of veterans have had
different experiences. Peopleare way more supportive today
than probably my dad was inVietnam. But you know, it's
still important to show thatappreciation and also the
tangible ways to home.
Natalie McComb (17:50):
And now a word from our sponsor.
@Sponsor (17:53):
Douglas Law Fi
Douglas law firm. We are afull-service law firm with many
practice areas to serve yourparticular needs. The Douglas
law firm is located in downtownOcala at 110 North Magnolia
Avenue, give us a call today fora 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 getto know you a little better.
What's your favorite Ocalahotspot?
@Jeremiah Blocker (18:25):
Well, we just love WEC. So, my daughter, my
oldest daughter is turning 8 shejust loves the horses there. So
we love going there and spendingtime there. So it's just such a
great environment So Ocalaright? 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 outto the lake and you know, take
the jet skis out. Justabsolutely love that and you
know, our family loves justexperiencing Ocala so especially
being outdoors.
Natalie McComb (18:56):
Yeah. Now, what's one thing that you wish
Ocala had that it doesn't haveyet?
Ditto yeahditto. That's a question that
@Jeremiah Bloc (19:00):
Really? Costcos.
our CEO, Kevin Sheilley at theCEP 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 youadmire?
@Jeremiah Blocker (19:22):
I really liked President Reagan. I think
just growing up in the 80's. Youknow, I was born in 79. And most
of my childhood really Reaganwas our president. I remember
being a young officer at FortLeonardwood in Missouri, when
President Reagan passed away andjust the emotion that, you know,
all the soldiers gatheringtogether and just kind of
(19:43):
mourning that and just realizingso many of my colleagues, you
know, many of us joined themilitary because we were
inspired by his leadership andyou know, he certainly wasn't
perfect. No politician is, buthave always admired him and
appreciate it. You know, in mychildhood, he seemed to bring a
sense of security and confidenceand that kind of hope, the
American dream and it's morningin America against that's always
(20:03):
resonated with me that kind ofoptimism. And again, not
perfect, he had his flaws, buthe'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 atDouglas law firm. Thank you so
much for being on the show todaywith 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 theOcala Metro Chamber and economic
partnership, sponsored byDouglas law firm and recorded
live at Wiley Productionspodcast studios. New episodes,
guests and perspectives onleadership premiere twice a
month. Follow us on Apple,Amazon, Spotify or wherever you
(20:49):
enjoy your podcasts. Have asuggestion for a future guest
email us at the catalyst atOcalaCEP.com
The Catalyst, a CEP podcast on bold leadership
in the Ocala Metro, hosted bythe Ocala Metro Chamber and
economic partnership, sponsoredby Douglas law firm and recorded
live at Wiley Productionspodcast studios located in
Ocala, Florida. Welcome to thecatalyst. I'm your host Natalie
(00:31):
McComb, Vice President for theOcala Metro Chamber and Economic
Partnership Foundation. And I'mjoined today by Jeremiah Blocker
partner at Douglas law firm.
Great to have you on the show.
Jeremiah.
@Jeremiah Blocker (00:41):
Oh, thanks for having me. Natalie. I
appreciate the opportunity.
Natalie McComb (00:43):
So tell us a little bit about Douglas Law
Firm.
@Jeremiah Blocker (00:46):
So Douglas law firm. It was started in
Palatka, Florida about 10 yearsago by a couple of locals from
Jacksonville and St. Augustineand Palatka. Charlie Douglas was
the main kind of leader, andCharlie and I have been friends
since college at UF 20 yearsago. And yeah, and so he started
the firm and a couple of us havejoined over the years and you
(01:07):
know, we've just really havetried to focus on being a
hometown firm and kind ofservicing the region.
Natalie McComb (01:13):
And how many offices do you have?
@Jeremiah Blocker (01:14):
So we have five offices. Now we have our
main office in Palatka. We haveone in St. Augustine,
Jacksonville, and just open anoffice in Flagler and also Ocala
as well.
Natalie McComb (01:24):
Wow. So a great reach, but I understand you were
born and raised right here inOcala. So tell me what it was
like for you growing up?
@Jeremiah Blocker (01:31):
Yeah, well you know, Ocala's great. I'm a
sixth-generation Ocalian. AndI'm on both sides and just you
know, really loved it to grow upkind of in the southwest part of
the county. And but you know, mygrandparents and aunts and
uncles and cousins are fromhere, and so just really enjoyed
growing up here. Because ofcourse, Ocala was small and it
is growing quite a bit now. Butyou know, it's really just home
(01:55):
for me.
Natalie McComb (01:56):
And what what do you remember most from growing
up? Anything you liked to do?
Anything that's changed sinceobviously, you've been here as a
young kid?
@Jeremiah Blocker (02:02):
Absolutely.
So you know, on my mom's side ofthe family, they were very
involved, my great grandfather,Carl Ray was involved in really
developing Silver Springs. So wespent a lot of time there. We
went out there, of course, wehad Wild Waters at the time, and
we spent a lot of time in SilverSprings, and just, you know,
just enjoying everything outthere. And I think that was an
important part of my childhood,just appreciating that kind of
the natural beauty. And you knowgoing out to Lake Ker and Lake
(02:25):
Weir, spending time out there.
But you know, Marion County hasso many great areas for you
know, kind of outdoor recreationand just, you know, that's kind
of the lasting memory that'sstuck with me.
Natalie McComb (02:35):
So, certainly something that has not changed
over time, as much as theybecome developed, we still have
so many opportunities for folksto enjoy the outdoors. And, and
I know that you know, youmentioned being involved in the
community, and that publicservice plays a big part in your
family. I understand yourfather, uncle, and all four of
your brothers have served ascombat veterans. So what lessons
(02:57):
were taught in your home growingup that led you to enlist
yourself when the time came?
@Jeremiah Blocker (03:01):
Well, you know, I think just God and
country, you know, that wasreally important. You know,
there was certainly noexpectation for any of us to
join the military. But I thinkmy parents really emphasized,
you know, for us growing upthat, 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, Iwas a student at the University
of Florida, and I went down, youknow, it happened on a Thursday,
(03:21):
and by the next week, I enlistedin the military and later got to
serve on active duty andactually was a company commander
in the reserves. For the 351stand P company here in Ocala. So
it was great to come home andcommand that company over in
Iraq and do a couple deploymentsover there. So, but I think, you
know, just that foundation of,you know, giving back to your
(03:42):
community, and if you love thiscountry, you know, you got to
you know, God finds differentways for us all to serve. But in
our family, I guess we were goodat soldiering. So that's what we
did. So yeah.
Natalie McComb (03:52):
And what a legacy and obviously, something
that you all could share as afamily. I'm sure some dinner
table conversations wereprobably pretty interesting.
@Jeremiah Blocker (03:59):
It's a big rivalry. It's a big rivalry for
sure. Absolutely.
Natalie McComb (04:03):
Have you served, have your family members served
in different branches in themilitary? Or have you all kind
of followed the same path?
Wow. So yeah, soa whole bunch of experience in
@Jeremiah Blocker (04:08):
We have. So yeah, my oldest brother is a
colonel in the Marine Corps. Thenext one is Colonel Normie. My
different levels. And, I knowthat when you graduated with
middle brother just retired fromthe Army as a field rate
officer. Myself, I started outin the army, went to law school,
your bachelor's, you entered theArmy as a second lieutenant, and
spent some time in the AirForce. Actually then went back
to the Army National Guard, so alittle schizophrenic in my
(04:29):
service. My youngest brother isE7 in the Marine Corps.
served as an officer inOperation Iraqi Freedom. It's
amazing to me the leadershipthat's required of new college
(04:50):
grads right as they enter theservice. What was that like? And
what lessons did you learnduring that experience that you
really take with you today inyour current role?
Well, youknow, it's when you look back
and think about it, the militaryprovides some the best
leadership schools. How to dealwith, you know, problems and how
to manage resources and peopleand how to do it the right way.
You know, obviously, they'realways going to be challenges to
(05:12):
that. But I think at a veryyoung age, at 22, I was leading
a platoon of, you know, 40-50soldiers, and that was tough,
you know, because I was,frankly, one of the youngest
guys there. But I had theresponsibility of leading and
doing that it's veryintimidating. But I think
relying on you know, the wisemen and women around you, there
(05:32):
are a lot of noncommissionedofficers that have a lot of
experience that some of thembeen in 15-20 years. And, you
know, I had a platoon sergeantthat was outstanding, that
really helped guide me. So eventhough I had the responsibility,
that leadership responsibility,I had NCOs around, that really
helped kind of guide that. Andit'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 thingsI've tried to take from that is,
(05:56):
you know, when you're dealingwith people, when you're dealing
with resources, is really tryingto treat people the right way,
focus on the mission, you know,the military has kind of a
mindset of, you know, soldiersfirst, you know, mission always.
Right? Or mission first,soldiers always, you know,
however that's said, I've hearda phrase different ways over the
years. But, the point of that iswe have a mission, we have to
(06:16):
fulfill that mission. And youcan apply that whether you're,
you know, running a bakery, or alaw firm, or, you know, a
doctor's office, but you alsogot to take care of your people.
We got to make sure they feelincluded, and doesn't mean
everyone's gonna get along, orthere's not issues that develop
with that, you know, but youhave to treat people the right
way. And also, at the same time,focus on your mission and be
good at it.
Natalie McComb (06:37):
Yeah, and there are certainly a lot of parallels
with the corporate world, youknow, we always talk about
people being aligned with themission and knowing why you're
there, right? And what's your,your piece of that mission and
making sure that you know, youdon't lose touch with that, you
know, lose focus. That'swonderful. And I know that
you've been recognized withnumerous combat medals and
commendations. Why was itimportant for you to continue to
(06:59):
serve in the reserves, evenafter you returned from active
duty? Because I'm sure that wasa big decision for you and your
family?
@Jeremiah Blocker (07:05):
Well it is, and, you know, it's, now I'm
kind of on that, you know, oneweekend a month, a couple of
weeks of the year, but alwaysends 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, wehave conflicts in the Middle
East, we have, you know, we kindof got ourselves out of it and
now in some ways are gettingpulled back into it. There's a
lot of uncertainty in the world.
And, you know, I take seriouslythat for us to stay a free
(07:28):
people and to protect ourcountry, you have to have people
step up and do it, you know, notevery American can serve in the
military, we're just not builtthat way. So, you know, we need
people to step up and do that,even though my service is
insignificant compared to the1,000s of others that are
serving but you know I'm part ofa bigger mission. So I think as
long as I'm able-bodied and ableto do that, I want to do that. I
(07:48):
want to set that legacy for mykids. So if they have that
calling, you know, hopefullythey'll find more engaging
things to do than join themilitary. But at the same time,
you know, hopefully, they'll seethat we can continue to serve,
you know, as long as we can.
Natalie McComb (08:00):
And what does that look like? Help educate me
a little bit more. In thereserves? What are the various
things that they have youinvolved in, given your number
of leadership experience to? Isit more kind of teaching and
training the next generation? Orwhat does that look like?
@Jeremiah Blocker (08:13):
Sure. So for me, so I have a Combat Arms
background, and then I went tolaw school and became a JAG
officer. So Judge AdvocateGeneral's Officer. So for me in
the National Guard, you know, wehave a lot of, you know, we get
called for natural disasters.
And so every time a hurricaneseason comes, we get called out.
So yeah, exactly. It's foreignto us here. But, you know, so we
have, you know, the NationalGuard also is called on to
(08:33):
support a lot of our missionsglobally. So we had soldiers
from the Florida National Guardin the Ukraine, when they were
invaded by Russia, we pulledthem out, but they were training
the Ukrainian military. We havesoldiers in the Middle East
right now. So you know, we havea lot of soldiers on the
southwest border mission. Sothere's a lot of combat
missions, a lot of humanitarianmissions that the guard steps up
(08:55):
to do. During Iraq, Afghanistan,the Florida Guard was all over
the Middle East, we lost a lotof soldiers in both those
conflicts. So but for me, youknow, as a brigade legal
advisor, I advise, you know, abrigade commander and his staff
on different legal challengesthat come up. Whether it's a
court martial, whether it's justdifferent discipline issues. So
I've kind of, you know, I gothurt in the military. So I kind
(09:18):
of transition from that to alittle bit more of the legal
aspect of it. But, you know,there's a lot of domestic
operations stuff, you know, withthe National Guard, you know,
our interplay with the civilianauthorities. And so it's
exciting to see that role. And,you know, we've seen a lot of
that, since, you know, the lastpresidential election, there's
(09:39):
been a lot of kind of, you know,challenges have come up with how
the military is used andutilized to restore order and
discipline and so certainly,certainly a busy time for
military lawyers.
Natalie McComb (09:51):
Yeah. And you know, you mentioned JAG. What
made you want to study law afterafter being in the service?
Because I know that was adecision you made. And, you
know, after having served for anumber of years, so, so why law?
@Jeremiah Blocker (10:03):
Well, you know, I want to be a history
professor and my parents werelike, Well, look, you know,
that's, you're not gonna live athome anymore. Right. So, you
know, I think I was interestedin arguing. And, you know,
always had, you know, strongopinions. So I went to law
school and met my wife there andwe just...both of our legal
(10:25):
careers took off. But, I was aprosecutor for a number of
years. And I got to prosecute alot of criminal cases up in
Jacksonville, and also inPalatka, as well. I worked there
and that circuit, and definitelyenjoy doing that. That's a tough
job, though. It's tough handlingsome of those tough cases. And,
you know, whether it's, youknow, attempted murder case, or,
you know, child abuse case, youknow, those are tough, it takes
(10:47):
its toll. But, um, you know, Ithink doing that and serving
that role, it's you know, Ienjoyed being able to use my
talents to help people and youcan 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 estateand land use. And I know that no
two cases are exactly the same.
Right, but you've developed I'msure, some areas of focus, what
areas are those? Or what type ofcases 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, youknow, we have a lot of horses
here, and we have a lot of realestate. So I think that's just a
fun area. And, you know,generally that's where people
are, you know, having fun anddoing some fun stuff with real
estate and, and equestrian law.
You know, obviously, I was acriminal prosecutor. So, you
know, I'm good at that. It's notnecessarily my passion area. But
(11:36):
I've, you know, handled quite afew criminal cases on the
military and as a prosecutor, asa defense attorney, a lot of
trials. So I have a great trialrecord. But you know, also, I
was involved in politics for awhile. I was a county
commissioner in St. JohnsCounty. So, you know, as
chairman of the board there, soI'm a recovering politician.
But, you know, Laney's law playsa role in that and local
(11:58):
governments. So you know, ourfirm represents a lot of local
governments as well, you know,outside St. Johns County. And I
enjoy that role. Because, youknow, it's tough, being an
elected local official andmaking tough decisions. And
being in Publix and trying tobuy milk with your kids and
people saying, hey, why wasn'tthe trash picked up? Or, why is
this road being approved hereand not there? Why's a sidewalk
on this side of the street andnot the other, and you have to
(12:19):
be able to answer thosequestions and really be
responsive to the voters. Soyeah.
Natalie McComb (12:25):
But, what a great perspective you were able
to gain I'm sure through thatservice, because being on the
other side, right, you know,then you could see what it was
like when, you know, yourelected officials are working
with attorneys, right and haveattorneys who may be
questioning, you know, whysomething's going here, or why
you're changing the zoning. SoI'm sure that kind of gave you a
new appreciation for that too.
And kind of widened yourperspective on, you know, why
some of those decisions are madeas well.
@Jeremiah Blocker (12:49):
It certainly does. It's humbling as well. And
it helps you helps youunderstand what people are going
through and kind of theirchallenges as they work their
way through, you know, theday-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 alawyer.
@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 thepublic to understand? When they
consider you know, hey, do youneed legal advice? Do I need to
talk to a lawyer? What do youwant them to kind of think
about?
@Jeremiah Blocker (13:16):
For sure.
Well, yeah, the relationshipsimportant, you know, being a
lawyer, as a trusted legaladviser. And whether it's
something as simple as a realestate transaction, or, you
know, your spouse got a DUI. Imean, having that trusted
relationship, you have to, youhave to really trust your legal
adviser. You really want to makesure the relationship works just
like your doctor, right? Whenyou go to a doctor, you know,
they're, it's impacting you,it's impacting your health. You
(13:38):
know, lawyers, unfortunately,we're called in sometimes to,
you know, fix problems that arereally difficult for people and
to try to help them navigate avery complex situation. Other
times, it's more exciting, youknow, hey, we're buying this,
we're doing this, we want todevelop this and, but really
having a trusted relationship isimportant and really being able
to trust the attorney and letthem guide you is very
(14:01):
important.
Natalie McComb (14:02):
So obviously, with multiple offices, I'm sure
Douglas law firm is continuingto grow and obviously, branch
into new areas and get newclients. How does the team stay
together? How would you describethe 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, youknow, It's tough practicing law.
Different law firms anddifferent kinds of that
corporate, whether it's a biglaw firm, or you know, some of
the different challenges thatcome with that. I love the
family-oriented culture there.
You know, my wife knows all thewives and other partners and
attorneys and the secretariesand we all get to know each
other's families. So we reallytry to treat it as a
(14:38):
family-oriented atmosphere. And,you know, I think that's so
important. It's a stressful joband you're dealing with clients
that have a lot of stress intheir lives. So I think bringing
as much of the family togetherand being able to you know, we
all can work other places. Andwork other jobs and in some
cases probably make more moneybut you know, we choose to work
here and really, you spend themajority of your time, you know,
(14:58):
five days out of seven with yourwork colleagues. And you want to
be with people that arelike-minded that share the same
value system. That, you know,are okay with you spending time
with your kids when you need toand taking that day off to spend
time with your daughter or yourson. So I liked that atmosphere.
And I like having thatatmosphere. And I think it's
important to foster that. I lovethat 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'retaking 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 thatthey're involved with or are
passionate about. I'm personallygrateful to Douglas Law Firm's
support as sponsor of this show,The Catalyst. And but I'm sure
that there's many organizationsthat you know, benefit from the
support of Douglas law firm orthat you, you know, may be
(15:48):
involved with over the years. Isthere one in particular you want
@Jeremiah Blocker (15:50):
Yeah, absolutely. I think, you know,
to highlight today?
the Veterans Counsel of MarionCounty is outstanding. And I
think the way that they supportour veteran community is so
important. Not just, you know,the veterans that we see in
parades on the Fourth of July orMemorial Day, I mean, really
just digging into the, you know,we have a lot of homeless
veterans in our community, wehave a lot of female veterans
(16:10):
that, you know, again, just aswe've seen a transition over the
last couple of decades with withmore women serving in the
military, sometimes that's aforgotten class of veterans. And
I think the Veterans Councilhere does an outstanding job of
recognizing, but also developingtangible ways to support people.
You know, a lot of times ourveterans come out, and you know,
they've kind of lost their placein the community, they spent 20
(16:30):
years, 30 years in the military,they don't know really how to
fit in. So our Veterans Councilhere in Marion County does a
great job. And man, you know,we're just proud to have a team
there that knows how to serveour 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, youknow, the needs, as you
mentioned, you have a lot offolks that, when they leave from
the military, they have hadgreat leadership experience,
right, they just may not knowquite how to use it. And I know,
some of the services theyprovide are helping to connect
veterans with employmentopportunities, which is
important because there's a lotthat our veterans can bring to a
(17:07):
variety of organizations.
@Jeremiah Blocker (17:09):
Absolutely.
The other challenge is to, youknow, we're dealing with for the
last 20 years, we've spent, youknow, a lot of young people over
overseas to Iraq andAfghanistan, our ongoing
conflicts with a lot of PTSD andsubstance abuse issues that come
with anxiety, and we're exposinga whole generation of people to,
you know, warfare and conflictand very similar to probably
what our parents experienced inthe Vietnam era. But you know,
(17:29):
we're set up a littledifferently today than probably
our parents generations were. SoI think it's important to
recognize that the multigenerations of veterans have had
different experiences. Peopleare way more supportive today
than probably my dad was inVietnam. But you know, it's
still important to show thatappreciation and also the
tangible ways to home.
Natalie McComb (17:50):
And now a word from our sponsor.
@Sponsor (17:53):
Douglas Law Fi
Douglas law firm. We are afull-service law firm with many
practice areas to serve yourparticular needs. The Douglas
law firm is located in downtownOcala at 110 North Magnolia
Avenue, give us a call today fora 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 getto know you a little better.
What's your favorite Ocalahotspot?
@Jeremiah Blocker (18:25):
Well, we just love WEC. So, my daughter, my
oldest daughter is turning 8 shejust loves the horses there. So
we love going there and spendingtime there. So it's just such a
great environment So Ocalaright? 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 outto the lake and you know, take
the jet skis out. Justabsolutely love that and you
know, our family loves justexperiencing Ocala so especially
being outdoors.
Natalie McComb (18:56):
Yeah. Now, what's one thing that you wish
Ocala had that it doesn't haveyet?
Ditto yeahditto. That's a question that
@Jeremiah Bloc (19:00):
Really? Costcos.
our CEO, Kevin Sheilley at theCEP 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 youadmire?
@Jeremiah Blocker (19:22):
I really liked President Reagan. I think
just growing up in the 80's. Youknow, I was born in 79. And most
of my childhood really Reaganwas our president. I remember
being a young officer at FortLeonardwood in Missouri, when
President Reagan passed away andjust the emotion that, you know,
all the soldiers gatheringtogether and just kind of
(19:43):
mourning that and just realizingso many of my colleagues, you
know, many of us joined themilitary because we were
inspired by his leadership andyou know, he certainly wasn't
perfect. No politician is, buthave always admired him and
appreciate it. You know, in mychildhood, he seemed to bring a
sense of security and confidenceand that kind of hope, the
American dream and it's morningin America against that's always
(20:03):
resonated with me that kind ofoptimism. And again, not
perfect, he had his flaws, buthe'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 atDouglas law firm. Thank you so
much for being on the show todaywith 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 theOcala Metro Chamber and economic
partnership, sponsored byDouglas law firm and recorded
live at Wiley Productionspodcast studios. New episodes,
guests and perspectives onleadership premiere twice a
month. Follow us on Apple,Amazon, Spotify or wherever you
(20:49):
enjoy your podcasts. Have asuggestion for a future guest
email us at the catalyst atOcalaCEP.com
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