Chelan County receives state award for hiring Vets

WENATCHEE -- The Washington State Department of Employment Security (ESD) asked an old friend and daughter of a U.S. Marine, former state Senator Linda Parlette, to help celebrate the success of a recently enacted statewide initiative to promote hiring veterans called "YesVets."

It was a sunny, but chilly Veterans Day in Wenatchee as the parade stopped at Memorial Park, next to the courthouse here. Colors were presented by the VFW and a rifle salute by American Legion Post 10 was had on behalf of all veterans, past or present, especially those who gave their lives in service of their country. Taps was sounded afterwards and then came the ceremony to honor the county's efforts to hire vets.

Parlette handed the plaque to Chelan County Commissioner Keith Overbay, also a veteran, representing the county. 

The original "Armistice Day" was invented as a memorial to World War One, which officially ended on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour. It was, but for the hour, exactly 100 years later that Chelan County was awarded as only one of 12 Washington companies to be given such an honor.

Employment Security created the Hire-A-Vet Award as a way to call attention to unemployed veterans in Washington and to recognize companies with a good track record of hiring, retaining and celebrating veterans in their workforce. One business winner is selected from each of the 12 workforce development areas in Washington.

The YesVets initiative's popularity (House Bill 2040) quickly spread across the state. Any employer can sign up and begin hiring veterans through the program. Close to 200 businesses have signed up and more than 183 veterans have been hired so far.

Chelan County was chosen for the award for this area, because "out of 540 full-time employees, 81 are veterans. During the last year, eight veterans were hired, representing 44 percent of all new hires. The county also participated in the annual WorkSource Veterans Hiring Event and the Homeless Veterans Stand-Down in Wenatchee," according to the citation.