Bismarck  (CSi)  Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Department of Defense program, is pleased to announce the selection of Delton Steele of Fargo as the new ESGR chair for North Dakota.

The chair is an official Department of Defense volunteer position. Steele will take an oath of office and will be sworn in during a formal ceremony at Alexandria, Virginia Nov.17. He will serve under the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. The position carries a three-year term and is the equivalent to a military two-star flag officer under Department of Defense protocol. Steele will provide leadership and vision for a team of more than 50 dedicated volunteers who are spread all across North Dakota.

Steele is currently the Regional President of Southeast North Dakota Region – U.S. Bank in Fargo. He has a degree from Valley City State University, Valley City, North Dakota in Business Administration.  He has a long and distinguished record of association with numerous community volunteer organizations.

With almost half of the Nation’s military force serving in the Guard or Reserve, Steele will have a direct impact on these men and women and their civilian employers.

“The patriotic support of America’s employers and the employees they share with the nation ensures the viability of the all-volunteer force, and thus our national security,” said Steele. “ESGR applauds employers who practice personnel policies that support employee participation in the Guard and Reserve.”

Steele joins 53 other chairs who oversee the ESGR mission in all 50 states, three U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.

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

More information about ESGR employer outreach programs and volunteer opportunities is available at www.esgr.mil, or by calling (800) 336-4590.