PITTSFIELD, MA. June 3, 2010. On a very sunny spring morning three members of the MA ESGR Field Office traveled to the Guardian Life Insurance Company in the picturesque Berkshire Mountains to present a Patriot Award to Ms. Aimee Bernardo. Ms. Bernardo is the Manager, Accounting & Cash Analysis at the Guardian Life Insurance Company's Pittsfield facility. She was nominated by employee Mirinda Wheeler-Pettit who is also a Master Sergeant (MSgt) in the U. S. Air Force Reserve. In her nomination for the award MSgt Wheeler-Pettit stated how supported Aimee and the entire company have been despite being activated four times. Two members from her military unit., Senior Master Sergeant (SMSgt) Nelson Serrao and MSgt Shelley Foust, attended the presentation and reiterated how valuable the support from civilian employers is to the members of the Guard and Reserve. 

The award presentation was made in front of the entrance to the building. Many Guardian employees took time from their busy schedules to witness the event, including Mr. Gordon Dinsmore, Berkshire Life President, Mr. Robert Coco, 2nd Vice President, Controller, Individual Disability, at Berkshire Life and Mr. Walter Skinner, Treasury Manager at Guardian. 

Berkshire Life Insurance Company is a wholly owned stock subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. The merger took place in 2001 and the newly formed Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America is now responsible for all individual disability insurance products for the merged companies.  
 

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense agency established in 1972. The mission of ESGR is to gain and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve service by recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of the USERRA law of 1994 and resolving conflicts through mediation. The MA Field Office has more than 40 volunteers dedicated to helping every "Citizen Soldier". On hand representing MAESGR were Volunteer Diane Swain, Ombudsman Director and Western MA Area Chair Earl Bonett and Staff Member Bill Hebert. 

 

   

 

 Left to Right:  Aimee Bernardo, MSgt Mirinda Wheeler-Pettit, Mr. Gordon Dinsmore and Earl Bonett

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Left to Right:  Walter Skinner, Aimee Bernardo, MSgt Mirinda Wheeler-Pettit,  Robert  Coco, 
 and Earl Bonett

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Left to Right: Diane Swain, Aimee Bernardo, MSgt Mirinda Wheeler-Pettit, Earl Bonett, SMSgt Nelson Serrao and MSgt Shelley Foust

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If you would like nominate your Boss for an award, call the MA Committee for ESGR at 508-233-7249 or go to www.esgr.mil