coesgr newsletter november 2015
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Welcome to the November 2015 edition of our Colorado Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Newsletter. Articles: * Annual Employer Luncheon in Grand Junction * Peterson Air Force Base Bosslift * Welcome to our newest staff member, Toni Ware * 2016 Freedom Award Nominations Now being Accepted, Nominate Your Employer * Ombudsman Corner * Recent Statement of Support and Patriot Awards * H2H Corner * Upcoming Employer Awards Banquet Be sure to check for links and photos to websites located throughout the newsletter. We hope you continue to find it informative and supportive of your role as Employers, National Guardsmen and Reservists, ESGR Volunteers and community leaders. Be sure to check out the Colorado ESGR page at www.esgr.mil/colorado and on Facebook www.facebook.com/colorado.esgrTRANSCRIPT
November 2015
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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.- The Western Colorado chapter of the Employer Support of the Guard
and Reserve held an annual luncheon and training session on Thursday, November 12th at the
Colorado National Guard facility in Grand Junction.
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, an
agency with the Department of Defense, seeks to
foster a culture where employers value both the
employment and military service of the National Guard
and Reserve.
"We not only need to support military members,"
said Louis Brackett, employer outreach chairperson of
the ESGR in Western Colorado. “But, we need to
support employers who support our military
members."
Bill Edwards with the National Forest Service was one of over
35 employers attending the training session to keep
up-to-date with policies and procedures.
"The total force of the American military today, half of
those numbers come out of the guard or reserve and it's
important for the employers to be supporting that to be
contributing to our total national defense," said Edwards.
Learning how to coordinate with guardsmen and reservists
under the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment
Rights Act (USERRA) was one of the main components of
Thursday's training session.
Last year, Grand Junction-based company, J.G. Management Systems was given the Freedom
Award for its contributions in support of military employees, a prestigious award given to only 15
employers nationwide each year.
"Having that culture of hiring veterans and supporting our
veterans is very near and dear to the heart of our CEO," said
Juan Magana, an HR assistant at JGMS.
Used by permission of Julia Maquire and KREX TV. Story written
by Julia Maquire. [email protected]. Copyright 2015
Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Thank you to KREX TV for their 2nd consecutive year in
covering this great event.
Annual ESGR, Employer Luncheon, 11.12.2015, Grand Junction
Video….
The purpose of this luncheon/training
session is to continue building relation-
ships while providing expertise and
guidance in USERRA and to discuss the
benefits of hiring our nation’s National
Guard and Reserve Service Members
and our Veterans. There are incredible
benefits to an Employer who hires a
National Guardsman, Reservist or a
Veteran and this event is an excellent
opportunity to learn about those
benefits.
Click on pictures or links for websites
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Peterson Air Force Base Bosslift July 2015
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Peterson Air Force Base is a base located at Colorado Springs in El Paso County. It provides runways for the adjacent City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport under a shared joint civil-military airport arrangement
The purpose of the Boss Lift Program is to show employers what the military The purpose of the Boss Lift Program is to show employers what the military The purpose of the Boss Lift Program is to show employers what the military does, and by doing so, make them stronger advocates for ESGR” does, and by doing so, make them stronger advocates for ESGR” does, and by doing so, make them stronger advocates for ESGR”
Part of 302nd Airlift Wing’s Employer Appreciation Day 60 people (employers, ESGR, Air wing personnel) participated Mission Brief, C-130 ride, lunch, static displays of other units
FACTSHEET...
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The Ombudsman’s Corner
Vacation Leave-
Bio...
Service members, must, at their request, be
permitted to use any vacation leave they had
accrued before beginning military service.
Service members can use this leave instead
of unpaid leave. They cannot be forced to use
vacation leave while they are participating in
their military service.
Employers should contact our National Office at
1-800-336-4590 if they have issues or questions.
Thank you for supporting ESGR!
Welcome to Colorado ESGR’s new staff member, Toni R. Ware.
You may have seen emails from an "Antoinette" recently from the ESGR office. That would be Toni Ware, who joins ESGR as the new AST (Administrative Support Technician) replacing Chandra Hance.
Toni spent 15 years at Cisco, working with Federal and DOD agencies in both pre and post sales roles. She has also worked in Marketing, Advertising, Catering and Event Production, and Telecommunications. All roles have involved removing obstacles and paving the way for the teams and customers she supports.
Toni's family includes husband Alex and 2 “furkids” - Willow (Siberian Husky) and Loki (Borgi). When not at work, she and Alex are avid movie buffs, enjoy traveling to Sci Fi / Fantasy conventions, and of course taking the dogs to their favorite mountain parks. Toni is also an experienced seamstress, and graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater. She doesn't mention what year that was.
Toni Ware Administrative Support Technician - COESGR
E3 Federal Solutions, LLC DOD Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve Contract (CTR)
720-250-1189 Office [email protected]
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Bio...
Corner by Employment Coordinator - Ms. Becky Small
October was the kick-off for our ESGR/H2H Mentor Program. Al Duff, new to Colorado ESGR, but experienced in leading individual mentoring efforts conducted the Mentor Workshops for Denver at the Family Programs Headquarters, October 27
th, and at the National Readiness Center, Colorado
Springs, CO on October 28th.
The Colorado ESGR Individual Mentoring Program provides a unique career-development opportunity to Service Members who are seeking employment or looking to make a career move.
The goals for the ESGR Individual Mentoring Program are captured below:
Assist Service Members in their transition from the armed services to the private or public sectors
Provide Service Members with opportunities to leverage their military skills and experiences in civilian careers.
Provide Service Members the opportunity to evaluate and enhance their current civilian career path.
Develop and strengthen an ongoing support network of Service Members and employers.
The transition from military service to civilian occupations is not an easy one. Often times, Service Members have significant leadership responsibilities that propel them well beyond the experiences of their contemporaries in the private and public sectors. We are excited to provide our service members the opportunity for personal growth, professional development, and the transfer of knowledge and expertise through our ESGR Individual Mentoring Program.
Stay tuned for updates!!!
If interested in becoming a dedicated Individual Mentor volunteer, understanding you will be provided the mentor training before being matched with a mentee (provided by the H2H EC). If you are willing to make a commitment to this effort or we can answer any questions prior to your decision, Please contact Becky Small at [email protected] or Al Duff at [email protected]
“Mentoring is an indispensable requirement for an artist's growth. Not only are skills and
experience shared, but there is value in the essential re-examination of one's own work and
techniques.” -- Jim Norman
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Taking the Oath!
Comfort Dental - Conifer.
Dr. Teniel Seifert
Left to right; Sherry Casbarian, SGT, U.S. Army Reserve (award nominator), Dr. Teniel Seifert and Rick White, Denver Area Co-Chair,
Employer Outreach.
Dr. Grace Jeong (not pictured) was also awarded a
Patriot Award.
left to right: Mark Brehm, VP of Operations, Jay Gerrard, Co-Director of Distribution & Logistics, Jim Yocum the PA awardee, Rick White, Denver Area Co-Chair Employer Outreach, Kathy Noll, ESGR Employee Outreach and Richard Crossland, Executive VP and General Manager. The nominator, Brian Dachtler was on active duty deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Southern Wine &
Spirits of Colorado
Jim Yocum
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Derek Fleshman, Principal, DC Oakes High School, Castle Rock with Robert Rotruck, ESGR
Brandt Jones, Owner, Oakwood Dental, Castle Rock with Robert Rotruck, ESGR
Tim Morgan, Owner, Castle Rock Imports, Castle Rock with David Pruett, ESGR
Colorado Employers signing Statements of Support Colorado Employers signing Statements of Support
with ESGR Volunteerswith ESGR Volunteers
Peter Mosby, Principal, Rock Ridge Elementary, Castle Rock with Robert Rotruck, ESGR
Jerry Hunn, Broker, Resident Realty, Colorado Springs with Dick Wilson, ESGR
Jeff Marcum, Manager, Steele Tires Inc, Castle Rock with Dick Wilson, ESGR
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Click on pictures or links for websites
STAFF AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Brent Hamilton - Program Support Technician
720-250-1176 [email protected]
Toni Ware – AST-Administrative Support Technician 720.250.1189 [email protected]
Rebecca S. Small - Employment Coordinator 720-250-1188 [email protected]
https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/jobs
COESGR Business Office
12200 East Briarwood Avenue, Suite 160
Centennial, Co 80112 FAX: 720.250.1199
State ESGR Vice Chair Tom Mills
EMPLOYER OUTREACH AREA CHAIRS
Alamosa Dan Powell
Boulder Tonia Martinez
Colorado Springs Bob Landry
Shirley Martinez
Cortez Area Robert Valencia
Denver Area Bruce Erek Rick White
Douglas County Area
Bob Rotruck Dick Wilson
Estes Park Area Chair Skip Hyde
Fort Lyon/Tri County Leanne Wheeler
Larimer/Weld County Jeanie & Brian Hand
Grand Junction Lou Brackett Bret Mixon
Montrose Emily Smith Rich Parr
Pueblo Harry Vogel
Jon Brude
Steamboat Springs Jim Stanko
State ESGR Chair Mark T. Lilevjen
COLORADO ESGR DIRECTORS
Military Outreach Darrell Williamson - Director
John Schutt - Dep Director
Employer Outreach Bev Skinner - Co-director
Dave Pruett - Co-director
Bosslift Coordinator - Brian Bartony
Ombudsmen
Martin Cobb - Director
Aaron Lechner - Dep. Dir.
Lara Makinen - Coordinator
Training Lynn Albi
Paula Kauffman - Dep. Dir.
Special Programs
Open
National Guard Liaison
Liz Kelpis
Public Affairs
Brian Moore - Director Sandy Tiegen - Dep. Dir.
James Garrett - Newsletter Editor
Employment Initiatives Robby Castle - Director
Mentors Coordinators - AL Duff
Tracey Fria
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Colorado’s 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 [email protected]
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Today! Nominate your
employer for the 2016 Award @
www.freedomaward.mil