Bev Kellner receives Patriot Award award for support of military guard, reserve

By: Paul Schattenberg, 210-859-5752, paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu

Contact: Bev Kellner, 977-862-1782, bkellner@ag.tamu.edu

Mike Guidry, 979-862-1901, mike.guidry@ag.tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program manager Bev Kellner was recently presented with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Patriot Award for her support of the military by way of passenger safety programming.

The award was given at an informal presentation at the Agriculture and Life Sciences Complex on the Texas A&M campus in College Station.

Established in 1972, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is a Department of Defense program to promote understanding between reserve members and their civilian employers.

“This prestigious certificate is awarded to those employers who not only make arrangements to allow guard and reserve members to serve, but also put in the extra effort to support military veterans,” said SSgt. Mike Guidry, 147th Security Forces Squadron, Texas Air National Guard. Guidry, an AgriLife Extension program assistant for passenger safety, presented the award with Dr. Steven Green, assistant agency director for family development and resource management, College Station.

“The ESGR Patriot Award recognizes employers who allow their employees time to train and prepare for activities that will support the guard and reserve,” Guidry said.

He said without Kellner’s support, he and others in the agency whose responsibilities focus on passenger safety would not be able to bring their programs to guard and reserve members and their families.

“These include demonstrating our rollover convincer to show the importance of seatbelt use and our distracted driver simulator to show the importance of paying attention while driving, as well as holding child passenger safety events to show the proper use of child safety seats,” he said.

Kellner said it is not only important to reach out to the military but also to remember the commitment military servicemen and women have made and, whenever possible, try to provide them employment opportunities.

“I was very pleased and surprised to receive this honor,” Kellner said. “And I am also very pleased to have Mike Guidry as one of our team members. It is because of the same work ethic and commitment that made him succeed in the military that he has made himself a valuable member of our team. Having retired and reserve military personnel in our programs is important and we’re fortunate to have one of them on our team.”

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