Straub’s Lenze receives Patriot Award for support of military employees
ST. MARYS - Straub Brewery Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Public Relations, Cathy Lenze was honored Friday with the Patriot Award by Eric Story ombudsman with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).
Straub employee and Sergeant 1st Class (SFC), Wendy Traynor nominated Lenze for the honor that recognizes supervisors for their support provided directly to the nominating military service member and his or her family. The award reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through flexible schedules, time off prior to or after deployment, caring for families and granting leaves of absence if need.
In her nomination letter, Trayer said, “Ms. Lenze is an outstanding supervisor, who keeps in contact with me even when I am on Active Duty. I am currently deployed, and she continues to provide top notch support to both me and my husband. Straub’s military support is second to none. They are a family-owned brewery and treat their employees as family. I am honored to be part of the Straub team.”
Story explained later that ESGR acts as a mediator between the military and their employers when not on active duty. ESGR helps employers to understand the rights of the military under the Uniformed Services Employment and Unemployment Rights Act (USEURA) which protects the job rights of individuals who voluntarily or involuntarily leave employment positions to undertake military service.
After the ceremony at the Straub Tap Room in St. Marys, Lenze said the honor shows Straub’s pledge to the military and their families.
“During the past 12 years of working at Straub Brewery, one of the greatest joys has been getting to work with such an incredible team, including members of the U.S. military,” Lenze said. “The fact that I was nominated for this award by one of the Tap Room employees, Sergeant 1st Class, Wendy Trayer, who is currently deployed in the Middle East, is an honor that I will always treasure and further reinforces the commitment and appreciation that Straub has for our military friends and their families.”
Straub Brewery Board of Directors Member, John Schlimm said later how deserving Lenze’s was of the honor with her hard work and dedication to the brewery and its staff.
“Cathy is one of the most humble, hardest working people I know.
Even though she is vice president, you will find her doing anything that needs to be done, from shoveling the snow and bussing tables to mentoring our employees to working with our distributors,” Schlimm said. “Cathy receiving the Patriot Award is a spectacular reminder that doing good ultimately wins in the end, not matter what the world throws at us.”