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. jmaguire@krextv.com. 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not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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 Antoinette.r.ware.ctr@mail.com

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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 Rebecca.s.small.ctr@mail.mil or Al Duff at alduff154@gmail.com

“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 brent.l.hamilton2.ctr@mail.mil

Toni Ware – AST-Administrative Support Technician 720.250.1189 tware@e3federal.com

Rebecca S. Small - Employment Coordinator 720-250-1188 rebecca.s.small.ctr@mail.mil

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 ESGRcolorado@yahoo.com

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employer for the 2016 Award @

www.freedomaward.mil