Issue 2 April 2017 In this issue: On Your Radar ESGR Supports Vets Cover Photo: Peter Goutos of Firecracker4 presents a check to the VBC for bringing Veteran runners to the race in 2016. All proceeds will benefit Veterans in Saratoga County. VBC Working With Area Colleges On Career Connections Initiative The Saratoga County Veterans Business Council is partnering with Capital Region colleges to jump start student Veteran s careers. The VBC is working through the college Veteran representatives of area institutions to identify and provide information to these student Veterans about jobs and career pathways. This provides students who are Veterans with an opportunity to start their careers while still enrolled as students oftentimes creating a better chance at employment after graduation. This partnership also allows the VBC to share information about returning to school for career advancement with Veterans in our community who may be underemployed. The VBC is excited about the opportunities available through this cooperation and looks to grow this initiative in the coming months.
Chairman s Message Thank you for your interest in reading this quarterly installment! Your interest reflects your own appreciation for our Nation s Veterans. The Saratoga County Veterans Business Council continues to find ways of making a difference in our community. I could not be prouder of the volunteer efforts of my fellow Council members, all Veterans with past uniformed service and with a continued PASSION to serve others. Please enjoy this edition and pass it on to any past or present service member whom you feel could benefit from our collective business experiences and professional networks. There s no catch; we want to help! Dan Colvin Chairman, Saratoga County Veterans Business Council Fried Dough Fundraiser Members of the Veterans Business Council raised $850 by selling fried dough at the October 9 th, 2016 Way We Were Car Show in Ballston Spa. The VBC partnered with the Glens Falls Rotary Club in utilizing their Fried Dough food truck.
On Your Radar Upcoming Events and Opportunities Wednesday, April 26, 2017 VETERANS JOB FAIR 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Albany Stratton VAMC, 113 Holland Ave., 3 rd Floor Auditorium, Albany, NY Includes Active Duty Members, Reservists, National Guard, Veterans of all eras and their spouses. Participating employers include: Federal, State and local agencies and private companies. Dress for success and bring your resume, VA/Military ID and/or your DD214. See https://www.albany.va.gov/albany/features/employment_opportunities.asp for more information. Bob Nevins Named Veteran of the Year Saratoga WarHorse founder Robert Nevins was named 2016 Veteran of the Year by the Friends of the New York State Military Museum and the Capital District chapter, Association of the U.S. Army. Bob is a member of the Veterans Business Council. Nevins, a Vietnam Veteran, served overseas from 1970 to 1971 as a chief warrant officer medical evacuation helicopter pilot with the 101st Airborne Division. His awards and decorations include three Distinguished Flying Crosses for Heroism, a Purple Heart, Soldiers Medal and 10 Air Medals. After returning from Vietnam, he became an airline pilot and eventually took an early retirement to devote his efforts full time to Saratoga WarHorse, a non-profit military suicide prevention program that he created. Bob Nevins (holding flag) accepts his award as Veteran of the Year. Bob is a member of the Veterans Business Council. Story Credit: The Saratogian
ESGR Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve ESGR (Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve), a Department of Defense program, was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee's military commitment. ESGR is supported by a network of more than 4,500 volunteers in 54 committees located across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam-CNMI (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Volunteers, hailing from small business and industry, government, Each edition will feature a story on other Veteran Organizations. Emil Baker, new member of the Veterans Business Council, and of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve presents Chamber President Todd Shimkus and Executive Vice President Denise Romeo a plaque commemorating the Chambers support and recognition of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). education, and prior military service bring a vast wealth of experience to assist in serving employers, Service members, and their families. Together with Headquarters ESGR staff and a small cadre of support staff for each State Committee, volunteers work to promote and enhance employer support for military service in the Guard and Reserve. ESGR has served our country for more than 40 years, fostering 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. These citizen warriors could not defend and protect us at home and abroad without the continued promise of meaningful civilian employment for themselves and their families. ESGR has continued to adapt to meet the needs of Reserve Component members, their families, and America s employers by joining forces with a network of other national, state, and local government and professional trade organizations. Their motto is Together, We All Serve! Learn more at www.esgr.mil.
The Veterans Business Council Executive Committee: Dan Colvin - Chair Karen Charbonneau Vice Chair Joe Pennell - Secretary Jason Collins Treasurer Chris Homicz Immediate Past Chair Dave Cummings Ad Hoc member Sub-Committee Chairs: Fundraising/Events Jason Cahill Communications Scott Iseman Veterans/Community Outreach Jason Collins VBC Members: Ally Andolina -DeCrescente Distributing Emil Baker - ESGR Chris Bozeth - General Electric Morgan Brooks - Merrill Lynch Jason Cahill - Logistics One Karen Charbonneau - Miranda Real Estate Group Erica Choi Bank of America Jason Collins SUNY Empire State College Dan Colvin - Momentive Performance Materials Dave Cummings - The Run at Saratoga Greg Dixon - The Wesley Community Scott Hayden Adirondack Folk School Chris Homicz Regeneron Pharmaceuticals For more information, contact: Denise Romeo Executive Vice President, Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce 518-584-3255 dromeo@saratoga.org Scott Iseman - O Connell and Aronowitz, PC Michael Kennedy - Saratoga Bridges Bob Nevins - Saratoga WarHorse Joe Pennell - Ayco Keith Prairie - Martin s Point Health Care Michelle Taylor Star Screen Print & Embroidery Jim Trainor Cutler, Trainor & Cutler LLP Robert Van Pelt - AUSA Capital District Chapter