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Nine VA Northeast Ohio Health System supervisors received the Employer Support of the Guard Reserve Patriot Award during a recognition, on Dec. 12, 2023. Supervisors earning the award

include Rhonda Beech, Tracy Blanton, Linda Bond, MD., Denise Mathews, George Jujus, MD., Josephine Ridley, PhD., MD. Saiydah Weems-Sholanke, Kimberly Williams, and Antjuan Wilson.  The award

recognizes supervisor support in facilitating an atmosphere where employees can seamlessly balance their civilian and military responsibilities through flexible schedules, deployment time

off and family support. “I started here in 2014, joined the Air Force in 2015 and it has been nothing but support every leg of the way,” said VANEOHS mental health nurse and Air Force

Reservist Maj. Matthew Waller. “I want to thank everyone for their support.” The recognition comes in acknowledgment of the VANEOHS’s adherence to the Uniformed Services Employment and

Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, which prohibits past, present, or future military service employment discrimination. “You serve as a model for organizations nationwide,” said Ohio ESGR

outreach coordinator Fadel Chaker. “We hope employers like yourselves will continue to support our civilian military reservists under USERRA.” Ohio ESGR Area Chair John Niemczura added the

value of actively working towards a coexisting work environment that provides the talents and skills service members can bring to the civilian workforce. “I appreciate what you do here,”

said ESGR area chair Niemczura. “It warms my heart to hear what employers are doing for their employees.” ESGR has served the United States for over 50 years, fostering a culture to meet the

needs of employers and the Guard and Reserve service members they support.