RAPID CITY, S.D. - The South Dakota Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve presented the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology with the Seven Seals Award, Wednesday, Dec. 14, for their continued support of ESGR volunteer Dr. Scott Amos.
Amos, a professor and graduate programs coordinator in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, volunteers his time in the ESGR as an employer outreach and employment initiatives director.
His time spent volunteering includes recognizing outstanding employer support to Guard or Reserve employees, increasing awareness of laws that protect employees serving in the Guard or Reserve and resolving service-related conflicts through mediation.
“The School of Mines and Technology continues to support Dr. Amos in his volunteer service with ESGR,” said Capt. Lona Christensen, SD ESGR executive director. “Dr. Amos joined ESGR in January of 2010 and since then has volunteered more than 700 hours in his leadership position. The school has provided him with the flexibility to attend various training and perform his work as a volunteer within the Black Hills area, which has been during the work day when he is also needed at school.”
“It’s truly an honor for me to accept this award on behalf of the School of Mines,” said Dr. Duane Hrncir, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “The School of Mines is dedicated to supporting the military, in addition to sponsoring individual efforts of our staff, like those of Dr. Amos. We’ve been recognized nationally as a Military Friendly School and as a Best College for Vets, and today, we add the prestigious Seven Seals Award.”
South Dakota’s ESGR’s committee is comprised of three full-time staff and 46 volunteers throughout the state that support the 5,100 reserve component service members in the state and their employers who share them with the Department of Defense.
“I’m pretty overwhelmed,” said Amos, a former Navy pilot. “To do something that you have a passion for and see it recognized and appreciated, to really realize that you're making a difference is overwhelming to me personally.”
The Seven Seals Award is named after the seven reserve components in the armed forces and is presented to an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to the ESGR mission.
“The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is deserving of this recognition for their outstanding contributions towards our reserve component members, their employers, our ESGR volunteers and the ESGR mission,” said Christensen. “Their support exemplifies the patriotic spirit that is alive and well here in our great state of South Dakota.”