National Park Service Supervisor honored with Department of Defense Patriot Award
DAVENPORT, Wash. – Chris Dodds, south district supervisory ranger at the National Park Service, was presented with a Patriot Award by Washington Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Employer Outreach Coordinator Jim Wynne, in recognition of his extraordinary support of his employee serving in the Army Reserves.
Dodds was nominated by Army Reserve Maj. Scott Stang, a ranger with the National Park Service. “Chris Dodds is an amazing supervisor that realizes the value that military personnel bring to the table,” said Stang. “He is an advocate to the USERRA program when others fail to meet the rights of uniformed service employees.”
“The Patriot Award was created by ESGR to publicly recognize individuals who provide outstanding patriotic support and cooperation to their employees, who like the citizen warriors before them, have answered their nation’s call to serve,” said Wynne. ““By valuing the military service of their Guard and Reserve employees, employers are directly supporting the readiness and retention of our All-Volunteer Force, and our national defense.”
“When orders come at short-notice, Dodds understands the difficulty of my dual career; he does his best to cover-down when I’m called to an active mission. He goes above and beyond to take care of his team,” said Stang. “Realizing what military members bring to the organization, he allows us to use our skill sets to add to his team and accomplish continued mission success under his leadership. He apprentices our skills and abilities and continues to deepen his understanding on our varied skills and experience. He always is willing to listen and enjoys when we have chance to share our experiences. He has hired multiple prior and active military service members to his team and has stated that he will continue to do so.”
“While Scott is deployed his other two team members and I work together in a team effort all of us work on supporting each other,” said Dodds. “We've been able to stay in touch with him and we look forward to his return.
ESGR is a Department of Defense office that develops and promotes supportive work environments for service members in the National Guard and Reserve through outreach, recognition, and educational opportunities that increase awareness of applicable laws. ESGR also provides assistance in resolving conflicts between Service members and their employers. This year, ESGR celebrates 50 years of excellence in support of the Reserve Components and their civilian employers. For more information about ESGR outreach programs or volunteer opportunities, call (800) 336-4590 or visit www.ESGR.mil/WA.
Photo caption: Chris Dodds (middle), south district supervisory ranger at the National Park Service, was presented with a Patriot Award by Washington Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Employer Outreach Coordinator Jim Wynne, in recognition of his extraordinary support of his employee serving in the Army Reserves. Dodds was nominated by Army Reserve Maj. Scott Stang, a ranger with the National Park Service.