Massachusetts Employers recognized for exceptional support of their Service member Employees
Story by Laura Berry, with excerpts provided by the Massachusetts National Guard ESGR Committee
CONCORD, Mass. — Employers from all over Massachusetts gathered for the Massachusetts National Guard Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Awards and Recognition Luncheon 2026 at the Massachusetts National Guard Museum, May 1, 2026. The awards luncheon was held to recognize employers who support their Guard and Reserve employees.
In 1972, ESGR was established to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee’s military commitment.
“We have about 50 volunteers within the state,” said Mr. Christopher Dugre, the State Chair of the Massachusetts National Guard ESGR Committee. This was the last ESGR event for Dugre, who is moving on to a new position. “Our mission is to gain and maintain employer support. Our outreach to employers is done in various events that we conduct, including the award presentations, Statements of Support signings, ‘Briefings with the Boss,’ and employer appreciation days in Boston.”
During the awards ceremony, the employers were awarded the Service Member Patriot Award, the Above and Beyond Award, the Pro Patria Award, the Freedom Award, and the Northeast Outstanding Regional Volunteer of the Year (VOTY) FY25.
The first in the ESGR’s series of awards is the Patriot Award. An employee serving in the National Guard or Reserve, or the spouse of a Guard or Reserve member, may nominate individual supervisors and bosses for support provided directly to the nominating Service member and his or her family. The Patriot Award reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through a wide-range of measures including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence, if needed.
Service Member Patriot Award Recipients:
Framingham Fire Department
Michael Dutcher
(Nominator: SFC Joshua Prouty, ARNG)
Framingham Fire Department
John Schultz
(Nominator: SFC Joshua Prouty, ARNG)
Framingham Fire Department
Tom Rindaldo
(Nominator: SFC Joshua Prouty, ARNG)
Belmont Police Department
Chief Mark Hurley
(Nominator: LTC Benjamin Mailhot, ARNG)
National Aviation Academy
Mr. Elle Pierce
(Nominator: SSG Kenny Rico, ARNG)
The Above and Beyond Award is presented by ESGR State Committees to recognize employers at the local level who have gone above and beyond the legal requirements of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act by providing their Guard and Reserve employees additional, non-mandated benefits such as differential or full pay to offset lost wages, extended health benefits, and other similar benefits. The award is given in limited numbers by State Committees to employers who have had at least one of their supervisors/managers recognized with a Patriot Award, and who have signed or agree to sign an ESGR Statement of Support.
Above and Beyond Award Recipients:
Rochester Police Department
Sergeant Connor Leddin
(Nominator: TSgt James Hightower, USAFR)
Tufts Medical Center
