Dawn Pelkey, Business Manager at the Office of Health Promotion Research at the University of Vermont Medical Center, was presented with the Department of Defense Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriot Award by Vermont ESGR Vice Chair Jerrold Manock and ESGR volunteer Kip Steele.
Sgt Denis Nunez nominated Pelkey, from Fletcher, for the award. Nunez, from Winooski, is employed as a Breast Cancer Research Assistant and stated, "I wanted to recognize Dawn and the whole team. I had a short-notice assignment recently, and their support allowed me to concentrate on my relief mission in the Virgin Islands."
Pelkey says, "Denis is a great communicator. I am very proud of his service."
“The Patriot Award was created by ESGR to publicly recognize individuals who provide outstanding patriotic support and cooperation to their employees, who like the citizen warriors before them, have answered their nation’s call to serve,” said Jerry Manock, Vermont ESGR Vice Chair. “Supportive supervisors are critical to maintaining the strength and readiness of the nation’s Guard and Reserve units.”
ESGR, a Department of Defense program, seeks to foster a culture in which all employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserve in the United States. For more information about ESGR outreach programs or volunteer opportunities, call (800) 336-4590 or visit www.ESGR.mil.