West Valley Supervisors Honored for Supporting Employees' Military Commitment

From left, West Valley Demonstration Project radiation protection supervisors Jacob Runge, Jonathan Biela and Jonathan Nehl pose with their Patriotic Employer Awards from Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve and the U.S. Secretary of War. Genevieve Boucher, a West Valley radiation control technician, second from right, nominated the three supervisors for the award.

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. — Three supervisors at the U.S. Department of Energy’s West Valley Demonstration Project were honored with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve - Department of War's Patriotic Employer Award, recognizing their exceptional support for employees who serve in the military’s reserve components.

The nomination came from Genevieve Boucher, a West Valley radiation technician and Navy Reserve Master-at-Arms 1st Class Petty Officer. She nominated the trio — radiation protection supervisors Jacob Runge, Jonathan Biela and Jonathan Nehl — because of the understanding, flexibility and genuine respect they’ve shown as Boucher balances civilian work with her commitment to serve.

“Serving in the Navy Reserves for the past 11 years has been a rewarding and honorable experience. As a leader in my command, the number of required trainings and schools may impact my schedule, but I enjoy being able to apply those skills to my civilian career here at West Valley,” Boucher said. “This wouldn’t be possible without the amazing support and flexibility from my supervisors.”

The Patriotic Employer Awards program strengthens the bond between service members and their civilian employers, encouraging workplaces to exceed expectations of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, a federal law that protects civilian job rights and benefits for veterans, reservists and National Guard members.

“We are proud to have service men and women working at the project,” said Stephen Bousquet, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management assistant director for the West Valley Office of Project Management and a former service member. “They bring experience and perspective that strengthen our cleanup mission. It’s the collective expertise of our entire team that fuels our resilience and problem-solving.”

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is a U.S. Department of War office established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between reserve component service members and their civilian employers, and to help resolve conflicts arising from an employee's military commitment.

-Contributor: Joseph Pillittere