Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve has announced its 2018 award recipients for service and support to Vermont’s Guard and Reserve members. At their annual banquet held recently in South Burlington, Vt., ESGR recognized over 40 employers who provided outstanding support to their citizen warrior employees over the past year. Guest speaker for the event was Major General Steven Cray, Vermont’s Adjutant General. State of Vermont Governor Phil Scott also participated in recognizing employers and providing brief comments. The event, hosted by Jean O’Sullivan, Vermont State ESGR Chair, was attended by several other senior uniformed Guard and Reserve members as well as key business and community leaders.

Top award recipients receiving the “Pro Patria” award were Rescue, Inc., of Brattleboro, small business private sector category, UVM Medical Center, large business private sector category, and the University of Vermont, in the public sector.  The Pro Patria is the highest award that a state ESGR committee can present.

Other awards presented or recognized included the “Above and Beyond” award, for support that well exceeded basic requirements under Federal law. Recipients included: Aspenti Health, Burlington; Chase Moving & Storage, Williston; Cole Electric, E. Thetford; COMCAST, Rutland; Hartford Police Department, Hartford; Majestic Car Rental Group, Burlington; People’s United Bank, Williston; Rescue, Inc., Brattleboro; Revision Military, Essex; UTC Aerospace Systems, Vergennes; UVM Healthnet Critical Care Transport, Burlington; UVM Larner College of Medicine, Burlington; and Vermont Passport Agency, St. Albans.

ESGR also recognized five Vermont employers who were nominated by their citizen service member employees for the prestigious Secretary of Defense Freedom Award. This is the highest award presented nationwide to employers who provide exceptional support to their citizen soldiers, airmen, sailors, Marines, and Coast Guard members. First level nominees included; COMCAST, Rutland; Rescue, Inc., Brattleboro; UTC Aerospace Systems, Vergennes; University of Vermont, Burlington; and UVM Medical Center, Burlington. Vermont has won this award twice since its inception in 1996. The Vermont finalists forwarded to the National level, Rescue, Inc., University of Vermont, and University of Vermont Medical Center were part of only 149 of over 2,330 nominees nationwide who moved on to that level for further consideration.

The “Seven Seals” award was presented to agencies and individuals who have supported the ESGR mission of enhancing relationships among members of the Guard and Reserve, their families, and their civilian employers. Recipients were the Vermont Guard State Family Programs Office, the Vermont Veterans Outreach Team; Mr. William Sullivan, VT ESGR volunteer (3+ years of service), Montpelier; Sergeant First Class (Ret.) Jim Greene, St. Albans, and Staff Sergeant Adam Senecal, Barre.

Also recognized at the event were three career VT ESGR volunteers: Brian Lindner, Chair Emeritus, and John DesGroseilliers, Ombudsman Director, were recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award; Jerry Manock, Vice State Chair, was presented the Spirit of Volunteerism Award.

The following recipients of the ESGR Patriot Award were also recognized. In many cases, the Patriot Award was the foundation for the higher level awards. Recipients included:

4 Seasons Accounting, LLC – Wendy Webster – Rutland
Aspenti Health – Sherri Friend – Burlington
Capitol Candy Company – Jim Thibault – Barre
Casella Construction – Joe Casella – Mendon
Champlain Valley P&H – William Heffernan – Bristol
Chase Moving & Storage – Ron LaFountain – Essex
Coca-Cola Bottling Company – Larry Cariddi – Rutland
Cole Electric – Adam Cole – E. Thetford
COMCAST – Russell Schoengarth – Rutland
Copeland Furniture – Mike Kemper – Bradford
Defense Contract Management Agency – Leslie Fleury – Williston
EIV Technical Services – Nate Dagesse – Winooski
Fab-Tech, Inc. – W. Scott Fine – Colchester
Foley Services, Inc. – Don Parker – Essex Jct.
General Dynamics Ordnance & Tactical Systems – Dave Whitehouse – Williston
Mayo Residential Care – Kaysie Breer – Northfield
Northwest State Correctional Facility – Greg Hale – Swanton
Paragon Systems, Inc. – Devin Lumbra – St. Albans
People’s United Bank – Vicky Ross and Jo Anne Cannon – So. Burlington
Revision Military – Jonathan Wainer – Essex
Rescue, Inc. – Eric Wilson – Brattleboro
RuralEdge – Iris Gilbert – Lyndonville
Rutland Regional Medical Center – Chuck Cacciatore and Kathryn Johnson – Rutland
Sunup Bakery – Laura McKenna – Killington
TENCO – Keith Washburn – Barre
The Hope Depot – Jameson Dionne – Bennington
University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine – Dr. Polly Parsons – Burlington
UVM Healthnet Critical Care Transport – Michael Conti – Burlington
UVM Medical Center, Rehab Therapies – Johanne Fradette – Burlington
UVM Medical Center Operating Room – Lori Preston – Burlington
UVM Office of Health Promotion Research – Dawn Pelkey – Burlington
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services – Karen Brouillette – St. Albans
US Customs and Border Protection – Barbara Johnson – Fairfax
UTC Aerospace Systems – Michael Danyow and Ben Harper – Vergennes
Vt. Association of Business, Industry and Rehabilitation (VABIR) – Christine McCarthy – Williston
Vermont Force Protection – Michael Aher – Colchester
Vermont Passport Agency – William Swaney – St. Albans
Washington County Mental Health Services – Scott Miller – Barre

Signing an ESGR Employer Statement of Support at the beginning of the program were: University of Vermont, President Thomas Sullivan; RuralEdge, Iris Gilbert; UTC Aerospace Systems, Michael Danyow; and for VABIR, Renee Davies. Every Vermont employer is encouraged and welcome to request and sign an ESGR Statement of Support.

Our heartfelt thanks goes out to these and other employers who “serve” our country in their own right by supporting our Vermont Guard and Reserve members and their spouses.

Inquiries about employing a member of the Guard or Reserve, or requests for the Employer Statement of Support can be made by calling: 802-338-4187 or by email to: [email protected] (link sends e-mail).

Source: Vermont ESGR