Penske Receives Above and Beyond Award for Military Support
Penske Truck Leasing received an from the (ESGR) for its continued efforts to support associates serving in the Guard and Reserve.
Rodger Diehl, ESGR鈥檚 east central area representative, presented the award to Jennifer Sockel, 笔别苍蝉办别鈥檚 senior vice president of human resources, and to the Veterans Day Planning Committee during a brief ceremony at 笔别苍蝉办别鈥檚 headquarters in Reading, Pennsylvania.
According to the ESGR, the Above and Beyond Award is bestowed to companies 鈥渨ho provide exceptional support to their Guard and Reserve employees.鈥 ESGR considered Penske for this honor after the company recently received several Patriot Awards 鈥 which recognizes individual supervisors for their supportive efforts to offer flexible schedules, provide time off prior to and after deployment, care for families and grant leaves of absence, if needed.
鈥淲hen Patriot Awards start to accumulate, the ESGR recognizes that it鈥檚 more than just the supervisor supporting their employees. It鈥檚 the policies and how the company treats their Reservists and Guardsmen. It鈥檚 an honor for companies to receive this award,鈥 Diehl said.
笔别苍蝉办别鈥檚 stemmed from a nomination from John Adams, an IT engineering supervisor in Reading. Adams has served 25 years in the military: nine in active duty and 16 in the Reserve. Penske supported Adams when he was activated in 2003 and 2008. Adams again is on military leave and will return later this month.
In his 2015 nomination, he shared, 鈥淲hen I have personally been deployed, I received care packages and regular communication from my manager about my well-being and that of my family. My manager has been fully supportive of my commitment, whether it was for a day or a year for the past 15 years since I have been employed at 黑料社鈥
Diehl praised Penske for supporting associates in the Guard and Reserve during a stressful time when they are away from their jobs and families.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so great when corporations like Penske support these guys,鈥 Diehl said. 鈥淗ow you treat them and support them really helps them. It takes off the pressure.鈥
As Sockel accepted the award, she emphasized 笔别苍蝉办别鈥檚 commitment to supporting both Guard and Reservists and veterans. Last year, 11 percent of Penske new-hires were veterans.
鈥淲e鈥檙e very focused on helping our veterans transition into the workforce,鈥 Sockel said. 鈥淲e appreciate their values, work ethic and skills and truly value them within our organization. We鈥檙e honored to be recognized by the ESGR and other military organizations for our efforts, as it is a fitting testament to how Penske prioritizes our commitment to veterans.鈥
Penske has received these other ESGR awards:
- for supporting James Jarkewicz, an operations supervisor, while serving in the Army National Guard.
- after Leon Troy, a maintenance manager trainee in Burlington, N.J., nominated 笔别苍蝉办别鈥檚 Metro New York area and his supervisors for their support of his commitment to the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves.
For the sixth year, Penske is a top 100 Military-Friendly Employer on a list published by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs and Military Spouse magazines.
By Kandace Wertz