Press Release

RICHMOND — As we celebrate Veterans Day, the Virginia Department of Corrections is proud to announce it has received two prestigious honors for leadership and commitment in hiring military veterans.

The VADOC received the Governor’s Award from Governor Terry McAuliffe and the Perseverando Award from Virginia Values Veterans (V3), a program run by the Department of Veterans Services. The VADOC was the only employer to receive two awards among the 22 given during ceremonies honoring employers who hire veterans.

About 12 percent of the VADOC’s approximately 12,000 employees are veterans, making the department the largest employer of veterans among state agencies. In the last fiscal year, the VADOC hired 274 veterans, approximately 12 percent of all hires during that period.

“Veterans have many of the qualities employers seek,” said Director Harold Clarke. “We appreciate their orientation toward safety and discipline. They are ready and able to rise to the challenges of working in the corrections profession and we are proud to have them on our team.”

The Governor’s Award recognizes employers for total number of veterans employed. The Department won its category of large state agency. The Perseverando Award recognizes employers for their contributions to the Commonwealth’s veteran population and commitment to making Virginia a veteran-friendly state.

Governor Terry McAuliffe presented the awards to Director Clarke and Human Resources Coordinator Barry Elgert, a U.S. Army veteran, on September 28 at the Virginia Workforce Conference in Richmond.

Governor McAuliffe praised the V3 program for meeting its employment target a year ahead of schedule. Over the past year, 669 V3-certified businesses hired more than 18,000 veterans statewide.

More information on the VADOC can be found at www.vadoc.virginia.gov.