July 2011

Welcome to Colorado ESGR. Our purpose is to have an informative newsletter that will educate, inform, and promote service by and to ESGR while fulfilling our mission of supporting Employers, Guard/Reserve members, and COESGR Volunteers.
Inside this Issue Employment Expo. 1 COESGR Awards Banquet. 4 Freedom Award Recipient.....5 Unit Highlight.........4 Patriot Awards Ceremonies....9 ESGR Brief Presentation Douglas.... County Governments......10 Employment Expo Cont........11 Colorado ESGR Events/Contacts.12

COLORADOS THREE DAY MILITARY and VETERANS EMPLOYMENT EXPO A RESOUNDING SUCCESS.

National Site News and Information

The three day Military and Veterans Employment Expo held at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, May 23, 24 and 25, was a resounding success, according to the over 300 evaluations turned in at the event by the many veterans as well as from the some 75 employers who participated. We are now in the process of compiling accurate data as to how many military and veterans who attended the three day Expo actually have been hired, reported retired Rear Admiral Dick Young, ESGRs State Chair, as we want to determine if the approach we used is the way of the future for future efforts.

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Employment Expo This Expo was unique in more than several ways.

July 2011

First, it was a collaborative effort. Over 30 governmental entities, chambers of commerce, and non profit groups came together to plan and to organize this effort. Rather than each stepping on the others toes, by merging the talent and effort of these groups we had much better efficiency and effectiveness, Young stated. Second, the EXPO was aimed to a great extent at preparing the veterans to get a job. Some 250 veterans completed the class offerings and the individual mentoring sessions available to them during all of Monday and Tuesday of the EXPO. Elaine Edon of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment organized and found the leading instructors for the seven classes offered and they were extremely well attended. Brian Bartony with the South Denver Chamber of Commerce led the efforts to find and organize more than the thirty professional mentors, all volunteers, who spent Monday and Tuesday individually counseling the many military members who availed themselves of this help. Third, the EXPO permitted only employers with actual jobs available to participate in the third day when the veterans went into the huge hall to talk to the employers, some 75, that were there looking for employees. Mark Simonson of the Employer Partnership of the Armed Forces headed this effort along with strong support from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.

Employment Expo...

July 2011

And last, the participating groups, from the four original entities that launched this effort, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, the U.S. Department of Labor (VETS), and the Colorado National Guard, to the many other governmental entities chambers of commerce and non-profit groups that helped immensely, are now in the process of very carefully and accurately measuring the results. And from that analysis they can then plan, refine and schedule the next Employment EXPO for military and veterans located in other parts of the state. While this analysis should not be that unusual, there are basically no valid statistics available on how effective the hundreds of job fairs are that are put on throughout Colorado by myriad organizations, from government sponsored ones to those put on by for profit groups that make their profit off the fees charged to attend or participate. Young concluded that the results would become available and distributed in about two months. On page 10 of this newsletter are some of the preliminary results of our success. The Committee is following though to count the number of jobs attendees obtained from this EXPO. This process will take several months to accurately determine as a number of companies require more than one interview, some have testing procedures, etc. But from the anecdotal responses received already, it appears that many jobs were offered and accepted from this EXPO.

Go to Facebook by clicking the Icon for more pictures of the Expo.

Thanks to Geneva Templeton for the pictures of the Expo.

CO ESGR Awards Banquet

July 2011

Our country, since its inception, has always relied on its citizen soldiers to fight our countrys wars, from the Revolutionary War of 1776 to the horribly different struggles of today in Iraq and Afghanistan. Here in Colorado we have some 13,400 of our neighbors, friends, family members, and our fellow workers who serve our country, truly twice the citizen as praised by Winston Churchill.

The Annual CO ESGR Awards Banquet was held on June 11th at the Marriott Denver South. It is a time to thank and honor the employers of the brave men and women who serve our country. Employers who, often at significant expense, go above and beyond to help their dedicated and patriotic Guard and Reserve employees and their families.

The evening began with a Presentation of the Colors by the U.S. Marine Corps Color Guard, Marine Air Control Squadron 23. The four Marine Corps members of the Color Guard have been deployed some nine times to the Middle East. This was followed by a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem by Amanda Vonholtum, a member of the Colorado National Guard and a full time employee of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. L to r; Brigadier General Catherine Chilton, U.S. Air Force Academy, and Command Sergeant Major Ken Berube, Colorado Army National Guard were the keynote speakers. Mr. Rick Crandall, station manager of KOSI and known throughout Colorado as the key supporter of many veteran efforts, was our Master of Ceremonies.

Freedom Award Recipient

July 2011

Denver based Qwest -- acquired by CenturyLink, Inc., in April -- is one of 15 employers to win the Department of Defenses highest recognition given to employers for exceptional support of their employees serving in the Guard and Reserve. The 15 recipients stood out from a field of 4,049 nominations submitted by Guard and Reserve service members or their families. Qwest and CenturyLink are both huge supporters of our military, said Kenny Wyatt, Region President of the Regional Markets Group at CenturyLink. Its a great honor to receive this recognition, but its a refection of the service of our military employees. Were happy to accept it on their behalf. In Colorado alone, CenturyLink has 24 employees serving in the National Guard or Reserve, 10 of who are currently on military leave. When its employees are deployed, CenturyLink provides continuation of their pay and benefits. They send care packages including personalized letters from the family members and in-demand, hard-to-come -by items such as toiletries, food, movies and reading material. When employees return from deployment, CenturyLink allows them up to three months paid leave to reunite with their families. The company also has the People Care Team, a comprehensive human resource tool that serves as a central point of contact to answer questions and resolve issues for Guard and Reserve employees and their families. CenturyLink also provides employees two weeks military leave that is separate from paid time off. Our overall policy is to do whats right for the employee, Wyatt said. CenturyLink employee and Navy Reserve Lieutenant Christopher Lewis experienced this support firsthand when he was deployed to Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar for 13 months in 2007-2008. Most people think that getting shot at is the most dangerous part of deploying, Lewis said. It is dangerous, of course, but for many of our Reservists not having the support of their employers is dangerous, too. Many of the Navy Reservists working under Lewis struggled with divorce, deaths and financial issues while deployed and did not receive support from their civilian employers. But since Lewis knew he had his employers support, I was able to focus completely on my deployment. The support he received encouraged him not only to to become an ESGR volunteer. submit his employer for ESGR recognition, but also
L-r, Kenny Wyatt, Tom Mills, Christopher Lewis.

Qwest has an impressive record of supporting its Guard and Reserve employees and has received every state-level ESGR award including: 21 Patriot Awards, which honor individual supervisors for their superior support to Guard and Reserve employees. The Above and Beyond Award, which is the second level of ESGR employer recognition awards and is selected and presented by ESGR field committees. The Pro Patria Award, which is presented annually by each ESGR field committee to employer who has provided the greatest support to Guard and Reserve employees through their leadership practices and personnel policies. [CenturyLink] and many other employers throughout the state are providing vital assistance to the more than 13,000 citizen soldiers and their families living in Colorado, said Richard Young, retired Navy Rear Admiral and Colorado ESGR chair. We applaud the efforts of these companies and urge other employers to join them by signing ESGR Statements of Support. The 2011 honorees will be recognized Sept. 22 in Washington, D.C. at the 16th annual Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award Ceremony.
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Colorado ESGR Awards

July 2011

The "Pro Patria Award" is presented annually by each ESGR Committee to the one employer in their state or territory who has provided the most exceptional support of our national defense through leadership practices and personnel policies that support their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.

The "Above and Beyond Award" recognizes employers at the local level who have gone above and beyond the legal requirements for granting leave and providing support for military duty by their employees.

The ESGR Seven Seals Award is presented at the discretion of the ESGR State Chair in recognition of significant individual or organizational achievement, initiative or support that promotes and supports the ESGR mission. A Seven Seals Award is symbolic of the seven services that comprise the Reserve components
The following organizations have earned this award for their exceptional support of the Military and Veterans Employment Expo (MVEE), held in May 2011. These organizations partnered with ESGR to create MVEE in order to address unemployment among National Guardsmen, Reservists and Veterans, and to provide training on job hunting skills and a job fair featuring over 75 employers from throughout Colorado.

2011 Colorado Freedom Award Nominees

Each year, National Guard and Reserve employees, or their family members, have the opportunity to nominate their employer for the Freedom Award. The ESGR field committees review nominations and submit one recommendation in each of the three categories: small employer, large employer and public sector. A national selection board comprised of senior DoD officials and business leaders selects 15 employers to receive the Secretarys prestigious award. More information on the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award is available at www.FreedomAward.mil.

Colorado ESGR Awards Banquet

July 2011

Pro Patria
Thomas Deany - Ball Aerospace, Tom Mills L-Mike Piper - Martin/Martin Consulting, Tom Mills, Maj Andre Schlappe USAR

Patricia Gheen - U.S. Dept of Veterans Affairs Health Administration Center, Tom Mills

Awards in these pictures presented by Tom Mills, Brig Gen USA

Thanks to Tony Giambrone for the pictures of the Banquet and Awards presentations.

Above and Beyond

Edwin Kohl, Rufus Rosser - Xerox Tom Mills

Employers not present at banquet to receive their Award but deserving of our Congratulations!

Lockheed Martin Boulder County Sheriffs Office

Seven Seals
Tom Mills, John Brackney -

Robert Brazell - Return 2 Work Tom Mills

South Metro Chamber of Commerce 8

Tom Mills, Josh McDaniel - U.S Dept of Labor/Vets

News- Patriot Award

July 2011

The Patriot Award is awarded exclusively to employers nominated by employees who are also active members of the Guard or Reserve.
Click on the picture to open the Channel 9 News video of the presentation. The Denver Fire Department has several active or reserve members spread throughout the branches of our armed forces. Under the control of former administrations, the military members of the Denver Fire Dept faced some hardships concerning deployments and reintegration into civilian life. Working directly for Eric Tade as a company officer (Captain) he Chief Tade is presented with ESGR Patriot Award by TSgt Sam Gillan took noticeable interest in the hardships I faced and James Garrett, Colorado ESGR. Other Guard and Reserve Chief Tade presented Patriot Award by with Dep. Chief BowerGillan and while deployed in Iraq. Upon his promotion to members attended the ceremony along nominator TSgt Sam James Garrett, Garrod. ESGR and Div. Chief Colorado the Chief of the Department, Chief Tade assembled a human relations committee including our military members to have a direct impact on our policies to better support our military brothers and sisters. This is the most significant step this organization has taken in quite a long time regards to its military personnel. In addition Chief Tade recognizes the value of military firefighting experience and has hired three of our guardsmen in the most recent academy for the Denver Fire Department. Finally, Chief Tade is a veteran with service as a diver in the U.S. Navy. SSGT Hudson was called to active duty before the end of his first year. Not only did Grieves keep his position open, he kept in contact during the SSGT's deployment, asking, What can I do for you?. He also kept in touch with the family, took care of minor repairs to the wife's vehicle, and presented Hudson and his family with a plaque upon his return to work. Grieves admitted it wasn't easy to manage while Hudson was gone. The Operations Manager oversees and coordinates everything from the time a vehicle enters until all work is finished. He said he shuffled the deck, moved people around, promoted people, and that everyone, including himself, took on extra work. I did this out of friendship, because of the fine work that he does for us, and as a 'thank you for what you do'--your military service, said Grieves. Hudson smiled. That's the kind of supportive boss he is. Absolutely fantastic. I couldn't ask for better. 9

Adam Smith, Colorado ESGR SSgt Hudson Robert

Carol Grieves

Robert Grieves, owner and operator of Nylund's Collision Center of Englewood, was presented a Patriot Award from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) by Adam Smith recognizing his outstanding support of valued employee, Operations Manager Christopher Hudson, Staff Sergeant, US Army Reserve who nominated him for the award.

July 2011 ESGR Intro to Partnership of Douglas County Governments

Lorin Ricker and Bob Rotruck, Employee Outreach Co-Chairs for Douglas County, spoke at the monthly meeting of the PDCG which is attended by Mayors, Commissioners, Council Members, and various other official county entities. In addition to providing all of the attendees with a coffee mug or travel cup, Lorin gave presentation on ESGR and why it is important for all governmental groups to participate in the Statement of Support program. Lorin charged them with a Call to Action during the presentation -- to not only commit their own organization to a Statement of Support, but to: Assist us in carrying ESGR's message and mission into their business communities,

Helping us identify both private and public enterprises who can and will also sign an SOS Introducing and recommending ESGR with their positive influence in support of our Guard and Reserve personnel and their families.

*This event was hosted monthly at the Phillip S. Miller Public Library in Castle Rock and promoted by Douglas County Library Director, Jamie LaRue and his staff. Douglas County Libraries were one of the first organizations in the county to sign the ESGR Statement of Support. Following the presentation, several people came forward to ask how to schedule the SoS event. David Casiano, Mayor of Parker asked enthusiastically how soon we could come to the Town of Parker offices to sign the SoS. Doug Debord, DC Government Manager asked if we could help them review their military policies with their Human Resources personnel to bring them up to date. It was a very successful introduction of ESGR and the USERRA Law and a great marketing opportunity for Colorado ESGR in Douglas County. *The Partnership meetings are normally held in a monthly rotation at different member organizations' facilities.

Adam Smith, Colorado ESGR SSgt Hudson Robert Grieves

Carol Grieves

Lorin Ricker speaks to members of the Partnership of Douglas County Governments

Picture by Bob Rotruck.

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Employment Expo...

July 2011 While the Committee that organized, structured and ran the Employment Expo, have started to evaluate the three day event and measure its effectiveness, certain statistics have already been verified and are most favorable, indicating that the EXPO was extremely effective.

564 military members and veterans pre-registered, 170 registered during the event. Gulf war veterans comprised 14% OIF-OEF comprised some 40% Vietnam veterans 17%. 250 of the Attendees completed the courses offered during the first two days. There were approximately 500 individual mentoring sessions, some attendees having more than one session.

315 plus evaluations of the three day event were by military members and veterans On a scale of 1 (low) to 4 (highest), practically without exception participants graded the Expo with a 4. Typical written comments: Was a great opportunity to me; A very informational three days. I now have a far more complete picture of how to find employment; These were some of the best 3 days. I learned a lot; Nice to see all employers were actively hiring and not just making a showing; Very good and organized-your organization is doing a great service for our vets; this job Expo was a class act. Thank you, Im impressed: Tis the best job fair I have ever been to; I left with a positive feeling of potentially being contacted by these employers; Much better than other job fairs. Entered and left with a positive attitude. Of those evaluations it was indicated that at least 20 of the attendees were offered jobs at the Expo, and another 130 were interviewed there on Wednesday or have scheduled follow-up interviews with an employer. Of the 60 evaluations that were turned in by employers, all but 7 gave the EXPO the highest rating (thoseNational it the next highest rating). 7 gave
Reserve Components

We plan on holding additional events throughout the state and ask you, the employer, to consider supporting these events.
Growing circulationCurrently this Newsletter reaches more than 5600 National Guardsmen and 1000 employers from our supporters list, 140 volunteers of Colorado ESGR, and our social network websites like Facebook. 11

STAFF AND CONTACT INFORMATION

July 2011

Pat OFlaherty Staff Director patrick.oflaherty2@us.army.mil 720.250.1176 Kathleen Dorram Program Support Manager Kathleen.dorram@us.army.mil 720.250.1195 FAX: 720.250.1199 Chandra Hance Program Support Specialist chandra.hance@us.army.mil 720.250.1189 FAX: 720.250.1199

EVENTS CALENDAR
JULY 14-17 Emerging Leadership Course, San Diego 16 157th Field Artillery Employer Day, Guernsey, Wyo 19 Senior Ombudsman Class, Centennial, CO 21-24 Basic Ombudsman Training Course, Seattle, WA AUGUST Advanced Ombudsman Course, Boston 9 Western Slope Employers Luncheon, Grand Junction 11-14 Emerging Leadership Course, Chicago 25-28 Emerging Leadership Course, Boston 4-7 SEPTEMBER 28 SHRM Colorado State Conference, Keystone

COESGR Business Office 12200 East Briarwood Avenue, Suite 160 Centennial, Co 80112 ESGR National Office 1555 Wilson Blvd., Suite 200 Arlington, VA 22209 1-800-336-4590 www.ESGR.com
State ESGR Chair Richard E. Young, RADM, USN (Ret) dickyoung123@gmail.com State ESGR Vice Chair Tom Mills, Brigadier General, CONG (Ret). meels52@msn.com

COLORADO ESGR DIRECTORS

Military Outreach Mark Craig mcraig8080@mac.com Joe Ely elytj@aol.com Employer Outreach Tom Ivory Tivory@aol.com Ombudsmen Bill Belz ewbii@msn.com Training Lynn Albi lynnalbi@aol.com Special Programs Kip Cheroutes kcheroutes@ Emgacommunications.com Speakers Bureau Martin Cobb emarcobb@msn.com

EMPLOYER OUTREACH AREA CHAIRS

Colorado Springs Willie Jones willie.jones@usaa.com Douglas County Area Lorin Ricker Lorin@RickerNet.us Bob Rotruck ole.gunner.bob@gmail.com Fort Collins Robert Fryer robert.fryer@ocio.usda.gov Grand Junction Lou Brackett patriot08@bresnan.net Pueblo Harry Vogel hotspot58@cs.com

MILITARY OUTREACH AREA CHAIR

Colorado Springs Vacant

June 22 marked the 39th anniversary of the establishment of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.

Public Affairs Iris Fontera IFontera@aol.com

NEWSLETTER EDITORS
James Garrett esgrcolorado@yahoo.com

Colorados ESGR Electronic Newsletter is published not only for the information and benefit of the members of the Colorado ESGR but most importantly to our Guard and Reserve members and their employers. The contents of this newsletter highlight activities and events conducted by Colorado ESGR. Send comments regarding this publication to the Newsletter Editor: James Garrett at esgrcolorado@yahoo.com 12