West Valley nationally honored for supporting National Guard and Reserve employees

By Travis Barton | [email protected]

The Department of Defense announced in June that West Valley City was one of 15 recipients of the 2019 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. 

The award is the highest U.S. government honor to employers for support of National Guard and Reserve employees, according to a Department of Defense press release. 

“It is a very high honor,” said Nancy Day, West Valley City’s parks and recreation director. Day is active in veterans programs with the city, coordinating the annual Veterans Day program as well as orchestrating the Veterans Memorial Wall exhibit in 2016. Her father was a chief medical administrator for Veteran Affairs hospitals. 

After making the top 30 the last two years as a finalist, West Valley City made the leap to the top 15 this year out of approximately 2,500-3,000 nominations, Day said. Receiving the award means the city will be honored Aug. 23 in a ceremony at the Pentagon. 

West Valley City was the only municipality to receive the award. 

“This is something the city should be very proud of for the support it gives to its employees in the National Guard and Reserve, as well as the different events we do for the veterans in our community,” Day told the City Council in June. 

Other employers who received the award include Barclays, Chevron, Eversource Energy and the Houston Police Department. 

“It is an honor to recognize these 15 exemplary civilian employers,” said Acting Defense

Secretary Patrick Shanahan in the press release. “The strength of our military and the success of our defense strategy depends on the readiness of our National Guard and Reserve members. These dedicated citizen warriors could not accomplish their missions without employers who understand and support their military service. We are grateful to these organizations for their role in keeping our nation safe and for setting the standard for all employers of Guard and Reserve members.”