 Right on time this morning. Good morning. I'm Jerry Manich interim chair of the Vermont committee for the employer support of garden reserve Welcome to the signing ceremony for governor Scott's proclamation supporting the SGR in Vermont Before I introduce Dave wheel our executive director I'd like to announce that mr. Charles Martin government affairs director for the Vermont Chamber of Commerce has Officially accepted the chair position for our committee Charles could not be with us today, but we'd like to publicly thank him for his commitment Dave Thank You chair. Good morning everybody and thanks for making time for us governor. Thanks for making time for us This week our nation honors the civilian employers of garden reserve members who in doing so contribute greatly to our national defense since 1972 ESG are with its strategic partner partners has worked to assist employers in understanding the value of Employing a member of the garden reserve and recognizing the support these employers provide In Vermont, we are very fortunate that we have so many employers of our citizen lawyers who not only do what's required But also provide extraordinary support above and beyond what is required by law National life group represented by director of benefits Michelle Granitz Such an organization and has done so over many years and it's also very appropriate to recognize the national life group was One of the earliest recipients of the freedom award the secretary of defense freedom award the highest award that a civilian employer can can receive This year carry dr. Pepper was our nominee for the freedom award and unfortunately no one from that organization could join us. I Do want to recognize though Jason Patnoe from Alliance Group Incorporated who is president and owner and He's representing a company today, and thank you Jason for making the trip down Like to recognize a few other folks who are here today with us Mr. Dan pipes who is representing adjunct general Greg Knight and Dan is the executive director for the Vermont military department He'll speak briefly in a few minutes senior chief petty officer Richard Bomert Senior illicit advisor from the Naval Operations Support Center in White River Junction We're also very fortunate to have several of our strategic members here today From the US Small Business Administration Chris Harriman who is our the veterans business development officer who we work very closely with and Brian the clue low-record relation specialists and also Vermont Department of Labor commissioner Lindsay Curley Thank you for joining us today commissioner and veteran services coordinator Larry Forsyth Also present our number of our Vermont ESG our volunteers Unfortunately, my colleague Linda Fowler who works full-time is under the weather and couldn't make it today This week the president signed a national employer support the garden reserve week proclamation On Friday the top 15 employers nationwide will be recognized as the national as the national finalist for the prestigious secretary of defense freedom award So today we have asked governor Scott to sign a similar document Proclaiming this to be Vermont employer support of the garden reserve week and thanking and reaffirming How critical our supportive employers are to our citizen soldiers airmen sailors and Marines Um before he signs that uh, Dan pipes. I'd invite you to say a few words. Thanks, Dave. I appreciate it governor Good morning. Thanks for your taking the time to be here and for your support on behalf of General Knight who just returned from northern the republic of northern Macedonia I I want to just emphasize and reiterate that we could not do this without you uh at the end of the day The employers that support our guardsmen and everything that we we understand it's a big ask What we ask of you And we do appreciate your your ongoing support comes down to communication. So if you have questions or concerns Um, and these things do arise Please let us know early and often and we'll address them head on So yes pretty much all I have for you Thanks again for your time All right, so I'm going to I'm going to ask everyone to come up Because you uh, you deserve a lot of credit for everything you've done And everyone who's here if you could come up and be a part of this As well if you'd like to come up as Representative So thank you all for being here today and thank you Dave and Jerry for the introduction We all owe so much to those who serve our state as well as our country Those who put themselves on the line so we can live safely here at home deserve nothing but our respect and our gratitude I believe it's our responsibility as civilians government and businesses to do whatever we can to ensure our service members can thrive in the workforce And the fact is we benefit tremendously by employing these men and women I talk a lot about workforce issues It's one of the greatest challenges we face here in the state because there are still About 13,000 fewer people working today than we had in 2009 It's the number one concern I hear from employers across the state What I also hear is veterans and members of the garden reserves are some of the most reliable and most productive employees in the workforce That's why my administration has worked with the guard the legislature and others on initiatives like licensing reciprocity So when members the military and veterans apply for civilian licenses They're recognized for the experience and skills gained while serving Vermont is a leader on that front So it can be used as a recruiting tool for our guard and for vets looking toward a second career I've also proposed eliminating the tax on military retirement pay another critical recruitment tool Although the legislature hasn't gone along with this as of yet We'll continue to work on this in the next legislative session But probably the most important thing for our reserve component service members Is knowing they have an employer who is understanding Eager to accommodate their needs and get the most of their experience That's why I can't thank the esgr ESRG committee members The employers and others enough for being here and supporting the fine men and women who serve our nation And with that I'd like to read today's proclamation before signing it Whereas national garden reserve forces comprise nearly half of our nation's military strength And are essential to america's national security And whereas reserve component forces stand ready to answer the call to serve Whether serving alongside active duty counterparts all across the globe Or responding to humanitarian crises at home and abroad Whereas employers provide critical support to members of the national garden reserve forces Allowing our citizen warriors to serve whenever the nation calls Often foregoing financial gain Being separated from loved ones and making other personal sacrifices in the process And whereas employer support is stronger than ever More than 47 years after president nixon authorized the secretary of defense to establish the national committee for employer support of the garden reserve And whereas our nation is in debt to the citizen warriors Departing the comforts of home to ensure our freedoms remain intact And whereas america plays special Pays a special tribute to the commitment of dedicated and supportive employers Who continue to make service in the reserve component possible Now therefore i philip b scott governor hereby proclaim august 19 to 23rd 2019 as vermont employers supported the garden reserve week And with that, i'll sign the proclamation And the support of the garden Absolutely, so if you want to come around this part makes for a great picture It's a big big family I need a stool There you go Thanks very much for your commitment means a lot to all of us as well as those who you employ, so thank you