Phillips 66 honored for its service to those who serve

Phillips 66 received the Pro Patria Award from the Oklahoma Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve for going above and beyond in supporting its employees who serve.

The ESGR is a Department of Defense organization that promotes the cooperation between reservists and guardsmen and their civilian employers. Each year the ESGR’s state committees present the Pro Patria Award to one small, one large and one public-sector employer in their state or territory.

It is among the highest honors an employer can receive from the Department of Defense, second only to the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, for which Phillips 66 is a finalist.

“Supporting the military is part of the Phillips 66 culture,” said Brian Mandell, Phillips 66 Executive Vice President of Marketing and Commercial and Executive Sponsor of the Veterans Network, the company’s employee resource group for veterans and for family and friends of veterans. “We’re proud to support our active-duty Guard and Reserve members because we value their service to our country.”

Protecting the rights of those who serve

The company received the award after Larry Murray, a Phillips 66 Senior Contract Specialist and Maintenance Officer for the Oklahoma Air National Guard, nominated his supervisor, Director of Corporate Services Contracts Brian Gilliland, and a few other colleagues for the award.

“Receiving the Pro Patria Award says a lot about the kind of company Phillips 66 is to work for as a member of the Guard and Reserve,” Murray said.

ESGR awards are given to employers that provide outstanding support for protecting service members' and veterans' civilian employment rights. For Phillips 66, that includes differential pay when the employee is deployed.

'We do what’s right'

Following the award ceremony, Murray and Mandell joined Col. Robin Cavanaugh, Vice Commander of the Oklahoma Air National Guard’s 138th Fighter Wing, for a panel discussion moderated by Phillips 66 Director of Inclusion and Diversity Natacha Buchanan.

In it, Murray shared what the company’s support means to him.

“It allows me to go on a deployment and not have to worry about finances or worry about whether or not I’m going to have a job when I return,” Murray said. “(It) allows me to focus on the mission at hand.”

For Mandell, the company’s commitment to supporting the 1,100 employees who are actively serving or have previously served in the military comes down to one simple reason.

“We do what’s right,” Mandell said.