In February, Encore Electric made public its commitment to support military veterans and those serving in the National Guard and Reserve by signing a National Statement of Support for Guard for the Employer Support of Guard and Reserve (ESGR).
Encore Electric welcomed several members of ESGR as well as other distinguished guests to its office in Colorado Springs. Among the guests were executive leadership from the Colorado National Guard CMSgt Lisa Perry, ESGR National Chair Ron Bogle, and ESGR Colorado Chair Mark Hennessey.
Encore Electric teammates and veterans David Scott, Al Paxton, Charles Meyers, and Andy Sizemore all briefly spoke about how the culture and people of Encore Electric have supported them through the years. Statements from veterans were echoed by Talent Acquisition Manager Bryan Garver.
“What I found at Encore Electric was a strong sense of mission,” said Chief People Officer Al Paxton. “What we do at Encore Electric is purpose-driven and changes our communities by what we build. It is important that we make commitments to one another to build with a cause greater than ourselves. We want people to come here and thrive.”
“When I learned about the Statement of Support from ESGR, I knew it would be an opportunity for Encore Electric to publicly declare its support of our armed service members as well as veterans,” said Construction Industry Advocate David Scott. “We treat our people as people and we value them for who they are. Our citizen soldiers protect our community, they protect our nation, so we need to protect them.”
As an office of the U.S. Department of Defense, ESGR promotes cooperation and understanding between members of the National Guard or Reserve and their civilian employers. ESGR works with an all-volunteer staff to increase employer support by encouraging employers to act as advocates for employee participation in the military. Supportive employers are critical to maintaining the strength and readiness of the Nation’s Guard and Reserve units.
“The Department of Defense cannot meet the military needs of this country without our National Guard and Reserve,” said Ron Bogle, ESGR national chair. “The nation’s employers have really come to recognize their part in national defense and also know the value that service members and veterans provide to their organizations.”
“About 65% of our soldiers and airmen in the National Guard have civilian careers,” said Colorado National Guard CMSgt Lisa Perry. “Many of them are deployed to assist communities in times of fire and flood and cold temperatures. There is a constant pull on our guardsmen to go and protect the communities, and they wouldn’t be able to do that without organizations like Encore Electric.”
“There are 900 organizations in the State of Colorado who have signed Statements of Support,” said Colorado ESGR Chairman Mark Hennessey. “We are here today to sign a National Statement of Support, and those don’t happen very often, so it’s a real honor and privilege to be here.”
The newly signed Statement of Support will be available in every Encore Electric office in the coming weeks.
