GREAT FALLS, Mont. – Montana Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (Montana ESGR), a Department of Defense program, is pleased to announce the selection of Dave Kelly of Helena as the new ESGR State Chair for Montana.
The chair is an official volunteer position. Kelly will take an oath of office and will be sworn in during a formal ceremony in Washington DC in November. He will serve under the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. The position carries a three-year term and is the equivalent to a military two-star flag officer under Department of Defense protocol. Kelly will provide leadership and vision for a team of more than 22 dedicated volunteers who are spread across Montana.
Kelly is currently the program manager for the Montana Veteran Employment Program with the Department of Labor and Industry for the state of Montana. The program helps veterans obtain employment and job search skills needed to gain employment in Montana.
A native of Montana, Kelly has a degree from Montana State University-Northern. He retired after 21 years of active service as a Sgt. Maj. with the Montana Army National Guard.
With almost half of the Nation’s military force serving in the Guard or Reserve, Kelly will have a direct impact on these men and women and their civilian employers.
“The patriotic support of America’s employers and the employees they share with the nation ensures the viability of the all-volunteer force, and thus our national security,” said Kelly. “ESGR applauds employers who practice personnel policies that support employee participation in the Guard and Reserve,”
Dave Kelly joins 53 other chairs who oversee the ESGR mission in the 50 states and four territories which make up this great nation. Kelly replaces Chris Hindoien who was the committee chair for the past three years. Hindoien will step down as the state chair but will continue as a local volunteer.
ESGR seeks to foster 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. ESGR facilitates and promotes a cooperative culture of employer support for National Guard and Reserve service by developing and advocating mutually beneficial initiatives, recognizing outstanding employer support, increasing awareness of applicable laws and policies, resolving potential conflicts between employers and their service members, and acting as the employers’ principal advocate within the Department of Defense.
More information about ESGR employer outreach programs is available at www.esgr.mil.
Photo: Dave Kelly named new Montana Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve state chair.