UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Pennsylvania Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense office, announced that the Penn State Law recently received the Seven Seals Award in recognition of extraordinary support of employees serving in the Pennsylvania Guard and Reserve.

Professor Michele Vollmer, Penn State Law Director of Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic and former ESGR North-Central Area Volunteer, was nominated for the Seven Seals Award by ESGR Area Chair William Burkhard for her military outreach initiatives and staunch support of both Citizen Servicemembers serving in the National Guard and Reserve forces and veterans in need of legal services.

The Seven Seals Award is the broadest and most inclusive of the awards given by ESGR and was approved by the Pennsylvania ESGR State Chair, Marty Kuhar. The Seven Seals Award is presented in recognition of significant individual or organizational achievement, initiative, or support that promotes and supports the ESGR mission, to include the efforts of the more than 3,600 volunteers who carry out ESGR’s mission across the Nation.

Terry Curran, the Pennsylvania ESGR Ombudsman Director, presented the Seven Seals Awards to Vollmer. In presenting the awards, Curran commented: “It is an honor to pay tribute to those companies and employers that hire and support our Guard and Reserve forces. As a member of the ESGR team, Michele was instrumental in supporting the Ombudsman mission through the inclusion of area committee members in Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Act law in classroom briefings to future lawyers and candidates seeking positions in the military services of the Judge Advocate Corps. Over her tenure as a volunteer, she has also coordinated ESGR’s participation in Penn State events such as the annual servicemember and veterans football tailgate held during the fall.”

ESGR, a Department of Defense office, 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 DoD. Paramount to ESGR's mission is encouraging employment of Guardsmen and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective, and proven leadership to the civilian workforce.

For more information about ESGR Outreach Programs, or ESGR volunteer opportunities, please call 1-800-336-4590 or visit www.ESGR.mil.