Monique Wright and Richard Olivieri were recognized for their “extreme kindness and flexibility” in support of reservists working for Woolpert at military bases worldwide.
Woolpert’s Monique Wright and Richard Olivieri (pictured below) were honored recently by U.S. Department of Defense Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program. Photo courtesy of Woolpert.
Dayton, Ohio (Feb. 15, 2022) — Woolpert’s Monique Wright and Richard Olivieri have been honored with Patriot Awards by the U.S. Department of Defense Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program. ESGR was established to promote cooperation and understanding between reserve component service members and their civilian employers.
Wright is a vice president and discipline leader for on-site geospatial solutions and services, and Olivieri is a GeoBase field team leader. GeoBase is the U.S. Air Force’s Combat Support Geospatial Information and Services Program. It is led from Joint Base San Antonio, under the direction of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center. Woolpert has 87 staff members supporting GeoBase at installations and contingency locations worldwide.
Woolpert Geospatial Specialist Roman Bux, a member of the Air Force Reserve, nominated Wright and Olivieri for this national honor. In his nomination, Bux said Wright provided all the information and resources needed to perform his job and manage his reserve duty, and that Olivieri provided support through flexible scheduling and continuity in pay and service, despite the frequent last-minute changes inherent to his reserve duty.
“Monique’s extreme kindness and support has made my absence for duty out as a benefit to Woolpert—not a burden—and has helped me to flourish for both the company and the military,” Bux said. “This flexibility has been critical to me providing for my new family and to continue serving, without adding to the many stressors that come along with it. Richard’s just-get-it-done attitude has allowed me to maintain a stable work-life balance and stay headstrong in accomplishing my goals for the company, the military and my family.”
Wright said Woolpert reservists play a pivotal role in providing quality assurance and quality control, field data collection and other GIS support for GeoBase at installations around the world. Wright recently contributed to the rewriting of Woolpert’s Procedures for Military Leave to standardize the company’s approach to benefit and protect all involved. Olivieri said this helps Woolpert, the reservists and clients now and well into the future.
“We hire military and former military personnel because they are credentialed and have the skill sets, discipline and security clearances necessary for these key positions,” Olivieri said. “It behooves Woolpert to make it as easy as possible for them to do their jobs, so we implement a plan for their time away and make up the difference between their guard pay and our salary while they are gone. Many of these reservists move on to become on-site geographic information officers, so we also are building a constructive, potentially long-term relationship. We love this program, and we love working with these great men and women who honor us all by serving our country.”
Wright and Olivieri’s Patriot Awards make Woolpert eligible for ESGR’s Above and Beyond Award and ultimately for the Freedom Award, which is the highest recognition given by the U.S. government to employers for their support of employees in the Guard and Reserve. Wright and Olivieri said they were humbled to be recognized.
“This honor is near and dear to my heart because my son is in the Army National Guard,” Wright said. “He is working his regular job while supporting the Army. I understand what these men and women must go through and want to ensure they are well supported, while making sure Woolpert has what it needs to optimally support the Air Force. This is a team effort, and it is one that we are truly honored to support.”
About Woolpert
Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG) and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. We innovate within and across markets to effectively serve public, private and government clients worldwide. Woolpert is an ENR Top 150 Global Design Firm, recently earned its sixth-straight Great Place to Work certification and actively nurtures a culture of growth, inclusion, diversity and respect. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio, Woolpert has been America’s fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. The firm has more than 1,600 employees and 60 offices on four continents. For more, visit woolpert.com.
