The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, or ESGR, has recognized a set of supervisors at VIA Metropolitan Transit for their support of agency employees who serve in the military. The Operations Station Foreman staff received the Patriot Award at the May 22, 2012 meeting of the VIA Board of Trustees.
The Patriot Award is given to supervisors who support their workers in the National Guard and Reserve. They show this backing by demonstrating support for their employees’ service, publicly acknowledging the contributions of Reserve component employees to our nation’s defense, supporting Guard and Reserve employees beyond the requirements of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, and supporting employee families during mobilizations.
Typically given to one person, VIA’s Patriot Award was given to all of the employees in the Station Foreman unit, the section of Operations that has direct supervision over the bus and van operators. The entire Station Foreman staff was nominated by Tina Tafolla, a bus operator who also serves as a specialist in the Army Reserve. VIA’s President and CEO Keith T. Parker, AICP, also signed a Statement of Support for the ESGR on behalf of the agency.
The purpose of ESGR, an agency of the Department of Defense, is to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve component members and their civilian employers. Its vision is to develop a culture in which all American employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserve.
