FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2010
Contact: Maj. Melissa Phillips
(703) 380-9262
Contact: Amy Kay, Public Relations Coordinator
Hanson Professional Services Inc.
(217) 747-9283
akay@hanson-inc.com
Hanson named semifinalist for 2010 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award
ARLINGTON, Va. – Hanson Professional Services Inc. is one of two Illinois employers selected as a semifinalist for the 2010 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. The award is the U.S. government’s highest recognition given to employers for exceptional support of their employees serving in the Guard and Reserve. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the award, which was instituted in 1996 under then Secretary of Defense William Perry.
Of Illinois’ 70 nominations for the Freedom Award, Hanson Professional Services Inc. of Springfield and the Chicago Fire Department were selected as semifinalists. These two Illinois employers are among 130 semifinalists from across the nation, selected from more than 2,500 nominations submitted by Guard and Reserve members or their families for outstanding employer support.
From this field, a national review board now will select 30 finalists for the award. A national selection board – comprised of senior defense officials, business leaders and prior Freedom Award recipients – then will select the 15 recipients for the 2010 Freedom Award. The Department of Defense will announce the 2010 finalists in May and the award recipients in early summer. The 2010 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Awards will be presented at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., Sept. 23 at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center.
Hanson is a national, employee-owned consulting firm providing engineering, architecture, planning and allied services. The Springfield-area office is located at 1525 S. Sixth St., Springfield, IL 62703. The office may be reached by phone: (217) 788-2450 or fax: (217) 788-2503.
About ESGR & the Freedom Award
The Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). ESGR is a Department of Defense agency established in 1972 whose mission is to gain and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve Service by recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of the law, and resolving conflict through mediation. Since 1996, only 130 companies have been presented with the prestigious Freedom Award. Previous honorees from Illinois include Entec Services Inc.; McDonnell Douglas; The Boeing Co.; Sears, Roebuck and Co.; and State Farm Insurance Co. For more information, please visit www.FreedomAward.mil.
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