Oklahoma state agency honored for supporting its employees called to military service
A unit of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) has received the Patriot Award for the organization’s outstanding support of employees serving in the National Guard and Military Reserve.
The Patriot Award is given to employers that enact policies that support their employees’ participation in the National Guard and Reserve. ODOT’s Division 6 was nominated for the Patriot Award by Austin Turner, who is currently on military leave from the agency and serving overseas.
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense organization, sponsors the Patriot Award. ESGR promotes cooperation and understanding between National Guard and Reserve component members and their civilian employers. ESGR assists in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee’s military commitment.
In the photo, officials with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the ESGR committee celebrate the Patriot Award at the Oklahoma Transportation Commission’s recent meeting.
Pictured (left to right) are: John Fuller, Oklahoma Department of Transportation Deputy Director; Robert Ward, ODOT Division 6 Engineer; Bruce Benbrook, Oklahoma Transportation Commission District 6 member; retired Brig. Gen. John Hubbard, vice chair of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve; Phil Tomlinson, Transportation Secretary; Kerry Mitchell, ODOT supervisor; Dan Overland, OTC Chairman; Megan Turner, wife of Sgt. Austin Turner; and Gary Ridley, ODOT director.
ESGR operates through a network of thousands of volunteers throughout the U.S. and Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Go here for more information on ESGR and the Patriot Award: http://www.esgr.org.
