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The assistant superintendent of grounds at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville believes firmly that an employer should support the military. It is because of this sentiment, in part, that Kert MacLaughlin received the Patriotic Employer Award on Tuesday, June 16. 

“I think supporting service men and women is important,” said MacLaughlin. “They make a huge commitment to leave their family and risk their lives for their country.”

MacLaughlin, in SIUE’s Facilities Management department, received the award from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) representative, Robert Kistler. MacLaughlin was the most recent SIUE supervisor to receive the honor.

Also receiving awards for their support of the military were David Hagedorn, assistant director of Campus Recreation; and John Caupert, director of The NCERC at SIUE.

Nicholas Vardy, sergeant in the Army Reserve and temporary SIUE grounds worker, submitted the nomination in 2014 when was then supervised by Kenny Porter, who no longer works for the University.

“In 2013, I was constantly off because of military training,” Vardy said. “I was also deployed to Afghanistan for the whole year of 2014. When I left, I didn’t have to worry about being fired or being treated differently when I came back.”  

MacLaughlin noted that another Facilities Management staff member, Robert Heck, is also in the Army and is away on National Guard training. 

MacLaughlin, who has supervised Vardy since March, said it is the other staff members in the department who should be commended.

“It’s not just me. It’s the other employees who step up,” MacLaughlin said. “All of our guys do their part to make sure the department keeps going. The weight falls on them, and they all pull together.”

Photo:

Kert MacLaughlin (center), assistant superintendent of grounds in Facilities Management, receives the Patriotic Employer Award from ESGR Representative Robert Kistler (left). Nominating MacLaughlin was Army Sgt. Nicholas Varady (right).