From Left to Right: Military Outreach Director for Texas ESGR, Wilmer Roberts; Ombudsman and Area 5 Chair for Texas ESGR, Christina Chaplin; SAM Chief Administrative Officer, Vivek Arora; SAM President and CEO, Chris Solomon; Employer Outreach Director and U.S. Central Region Employer Outreach Mentor for Texas ESGR, Raette Smith Hearne; Commander, 386th Engineer Battalion, Texas National Guard, Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Matthew Cyr; SAM Military Program Manager, Raymond Amador
On Wednesday, December 14, 2022, SAM signed a Statement of Support (SoS) for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). By signing this SoS, SAM has strengthened our commitment to the men and women who serve in the armed forces, particularly the National Guard and Reserve units, who stand at the ready to serve their country whenever they are called.
Employers signing a SoS for the ESGR pledge the following:
- We fully recognize, honor, and comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.
- We will provide our managers and supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve.
- We appreciate the values, leadership, and unique skills service members bring to the workforce and will encourage opportunities to hire guardsmen, reservists, and veterans.
- We will continually recognize and support our country’s service members and their families, in peace, in crises, and in war.
SAM has a long history of supporting active service members and veterans through donations and our Department of Defense (DoD) SkillBridge Internship Program, which is designed to give transitioning veterans the knowledge and skills necessary to become field or office technicians on our survey teams. We are fully committed to helping veterans transition successfully to the private sector as they leave the armed forces and employing active service members in the National Guard and Reserves. History tells us that too many service members have challenges finding employment while serving in the National Guard or Reserves and after transitioning out of the armed forces. Fortunately, there are educational and career programs intended to support individuals in the process and prepare them with the right tools to be successful, and SAM is proud to do our part.
“While we have always supported the military, we have stepped up our efforts in the last few months in a significant way, and I am proud of that,” said SAM President and CEO, Chris Solomon. “This ceremony is only a small part of what we have done for our veterans’ initiative and what we will continue to do moving forward.”
Last October, SAM hired Raymond Amador, who served in the U.S. Army for seventeen and a half years, as a Military Program Manager. SAM’s long-term goal for our SkillBridge Program is to have 10% of employees be veterans, allowing us to apply for the HIRE Vets Medallion Award at the Platinum Level from the Department of Labor.
“After being introduced to SAM Companies, I am excited about a future partnership with them,” said Employer Outreach Director and U.S. Central Region Employer Outreach Mentor for Texas ESGR, Raette Smith Hearne. “They genuinely embrace the military supportive organization that we hope all Texas companies will emulate!”
“It was an honor to speak on behalf of the National Guard at the SAM Companies ESGR Signing Ceremony. Thank you to SAM for showing support to our Veterans. I think I have 30 Army Technical Engineers, Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), and 12T to send to you,” said Commander, 386th Engineer Battalion, Texas National Guard, Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Matthew Cyr.
SAM Chief Administrative Officer, Vivek Arora said, “Our partnership with ESGR marks another important step for SAM as we further our commitment to our military. Our support for the military means more than hiring service members. We believe it is important to provide a comprehensive onboarding program for our service members that goes beyond training for their new job. We want to make sure they have a smooth transition to the civilian workforce and our team works hard to create that experience.”
To learn more about career opportunities for veterans and active service members, visit our Military Careers Page.