Grand Aire Manager Ken Walters was honored with a Patriot Award in recognition of extraordinary support of an employee serving in the Ohio Air National Guard. The award is presented by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) which is an office within the US Department of Defense. Those who gathered for the presentation are, from left, Nate Cousino, Senior Airman, 180th Fighter Wing and sales representative for Grand Aire; Ken Walters, General Manager of Grand Aire; Terry Witter, (Retired Navy), Northwest Ohio Committee Chair of the ESGR and Master Sergeant Keith Czop of the 180th Fighter Wing.
Ohio Committee of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense office, announced today Grand Aire Manager Ken Walters was honored with a Patriot Award in recognition of extraordinary support of an employee serving in the Ohio Air National Guard.
According to Steve Koper, Ohio ESGR State Chair, “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.
Ken Walters, was nominated for being highly supportive of the Ohio Air National Guard; by Senior Airman Nathan Cousino assigned to the 180th Fighter Wing in Swanton. Supportive supervisors are critical to maintaining the strength and readiness of the nation’s Guard and Reserve units.
Airman Cousino is quoted,” Ken Walters was essential in providing me time off for the 180th Fighter Wing’s Rodeo training week. It is due to Ken’s flexibility, hard work, and ability to adapt and overcome that I nominated Ken for the award. I feel very supported at Grand Aire and wanted to recognize them for their outstanding support.”
ESGR, a Department of Defense office, 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. ESGR facilitates and promotes a cooperative culture of employer support for National Guard and Reserve service by developing and advocating mutually beneficial initiatives, recognizing outstanding employer support, increasing awareness of applicable laws and policies, resolving potential conflicts between employers and their service members, and acting as the employers’ principal advocate within DoD. Paramount
to ESGR’s mission is encouraging employment of Guardsmen and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective and proven leadership to the civilian workforce.
For more information about ESGR Outreach Programs, or ESGR volunteer opportunities, please visit www.ESGR.mil or call 1-800-336-4590.
