Market Newsdesk

• Industry veteran Chris Pogue has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Thales Canada – Defence & Security.
• For more than 50 years, customers including Canada’s Department of National Defence and the Canadian Coast Guard have relied on Thales as a prime contractor and long-term partner enabling the Canadian Armed Forces and other defence entities to achieve mission success.

OTTAWA, Nov. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Thales Canada – Defence and Security welcomes Chris Pogue as its new Managing Director. Chris replaces Jerry McLean, who announced his retirement effective November 16, 2020. Before joining Thales, Chris was President of MDA Government, where he was responsible for the company’s Defence, Earth Observation Systems, Enterprise IT and Government Space Robotics lines of business.

In addition to executive roles with MDA Government, General Dynamics Mission Systems and CAE Defence and Professional Services, Chris spent over 20 years with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and a Master’s of Science in Physics and Oceanography from Royal Roads Military College, as well as executive education at the University of York, University of Liverpool and Harvard Business School.

With approximately 250 defence and security employees from coast to coast, including over 200 employees in the Ottawa region, Chris will lead the organization’s maritime, sea, land, optronics and air programs, including the 35-year, $5.2 billion CAD AJISS contract for the Royal Canadian Navy, currently underway.

“Thales is a


trusted


prime contractor and proven industry leader that is


delivering


at the highest levels to help


the


armed forces


and coast guards


prepare for, achieve and maintain tactical superiority and strategic indep


endence over any form of threat,”

said Chris Pogue, Managing Director,
Thales
Canada – Defence & Security

. “As a strong partner to Canadian SMEs and our domestic innovation ecosystem, I look forward to leveraging Thales Canada’s leadership in digital transformation and next generation decision systems to enable our customers to make the tomorrow possible, today.”

With defence activities in the naval, maritime, ground and air domains, Thales Canada – Defence & Security partners with over 500 Canadian businesses, creating national economic impact of more than $140 million annually. In support of Canada’s digital transformation, Thales is committed to the development of innovative Canadian technologies and made-in-Canada defence and security solutions.

PRESS CONTACT

Samara Ben-Reuven

Thales Canada
Media Relations

+1 (613) 355-3536
[email protected]

Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — National nonprofit Operation Gratitude announced the launch of its podcast, Solidarity of Service, hosted by Operation Gratitude CEO and Retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Schmiegel and the Chief Strategy and Operations Officer for NAMI, Retired Marine Chief Warrant Officer-2 Sherman Gillums, Jr. The show explores inspiring stories about community, connection, and service, featuring true American patriots from all walks of life. The inspiration for the Solidarity of Service came from the two friends’ conversations about their desire to help heal a divided nation and the power of service in uniting communities. 

“We believe that a grateful nation that serves together is a united nation. In our lives, and in America, there is a common thread that demonstrates service to others will bridge divides. And we have seen firsthand that this solidarity of service is the best way, and perhaps the only way, to reunite our country,” shared Kevin Schmiegel. 

“There are times when we’d realized our fates were intertwined and our unity got us through profound hardship, like we saw after the attacks on September 11, 2001. Yet, we can also see how anxiety and uncertainty can create fractures in our society, as we saw in the wake of COVID-19 and social unrest. History has shown us we are indeed stronger when we confront challenges together as a collection of individuals serving a common purpose,” said Sherman Gillums, Jr. 

The first three of 12 episodes were released today, featuring conversations between Gillums and Schmiegel on service during and after the military and a candid conversation with fellow Marine and COO of Operation Gratitude, Retired Colonel Paul Cucinotta. 

Fans of the podcast can contact [email protected] to provide feedback and ideas for the podcast, or to become a guest on the show.

To watch the recordings of the podcast, including the trailer filmed at the DC National Guard Armory, visit YouTube or listen via your favorite podcast app. 

About Sherman Gillums, Jr. 

Sherman Gillums, Jr. recently joined NAMI in the newly created position of Chief Strategy and Operations Officer. He served in the U.S. Marines for 12 years and received an honorable discharge at the rank of Chief Warrant Officer-2 after a career-ending injury while preparing to deploy to Operation Enduring Freedom with 1st Marine Division. In 2004, Gillums began his career in veteran advocacy as an accredited representative for veterans, dependents, and survivors. He later worked as an appellate representative at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals in Washington, D.C. Shortly after, he joined Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) as Associate Executive Director of Veterans Benefits. He later went on to serve as the organization’s first post-9/11-era Executive Director. After a successful period of improving health care and quality of life for catastrophically injured veterans, Gillums joined American Veterans (AMVETS), where he served as the organization’s Chief Strategy and Advocacy Officer.

Gillums has testified before Congress as an expert witness and presently serves on several high-profile committees, such as the Federal Advisory Committee for Veterans’ Family, Caregiver and Survivor as vice chairman alongside chairperson Elizabeth Dole. He was appointed by Governor Ralph Northam to serve on the Fair Housing Board for the Commonwealth of Virginia for a second term. He also sits on advisory boards for Operation Gratitude’s BRIDGE Council and the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention.

About Kevin Schmiegel

Retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Schmiegel is the CEO of Operation Gratitude, whose mission is to forge strong bonds between Americans and their Military and First Responder Heroes through volunteer service projects, acts of gratitude, and meaningful engagements in communities nationwide. 

Prior to Operation Gratitude, Lieutenant Colonel Schmiegel founded Hiring Our Heroes – a nationwide grassroots campaign run through the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation to help veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment in hundreds of cities across America. Since its inception, Hiring Our Heroes has held more than 1,000 job fairs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and on military installations overseas. To date, more than 500,000 of our nation’s heroes have been hired as a result of the program. He went on to serve as the first-ever President of Thanks USA, expanding the scope of its mission from providing post-secondary, need-based scholarships to military spouses and children to include Pathways for Patriots, an innovative program to provide meaningful employment for the scholars upon graduation.

LtCol Schmiegel is a Class of 1989 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps and retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel after 20 years on active duty and deployments to more than 50 countries.

Attachments

• OPGT007-SofS-Podcast-Cover-Select
• 20201027_113330

STOUGHTON, Mass., Nov. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Community bank Envision Bank has been recognized as one of The Boston Globe’s Top Places to Work 2020 winners following a survey of the Bank’s 220 employees. The Top Place to Work distinction is determined by an exhaustive employee survey that measures 24 key factors including leadership, compensation, training, workplace flexibility, and diversity.

“We’re very proud of this achievement as it’s based solely on feedback from Envision Bank colleagues,” said Bill Parent, Envision Bank President and CEO. “The Boston Globe’s recognition of Envision Bank’s work environment is a testament to the work we have done to create a professional, welcoming environment where people can be authentic. Trust, transparency and respect are the foundation for everything we do when we interact with our colleagues.”

Envision Bank provides performance-based compensation, a comprehensive menu of benefits, ongoing training and career growth opportunities. “We’re a company that cares and strives to place our colleagues’ needs first,” explained Envision Bank Vice President of People & Culture Beth Jacobson. “Work-life balance is a priority for us, and we’re able to flex our colleagues’ schedules through telecommuting arrangements, offer generous time-off benefits and work-life resources.”

The Boston Globe partnered with Energage, an employee research and consulting firm, to identify companies that exceed their employees’ expectations. More than 80,000 employees at 285 Massachusetts companies took the anonymous survey to measure the key factors determining the Top Places to Work.

“Maintaining and building a collaborative, transparent and fun environment is vital to retaining and fostering the people-focused culture of our organization. We are creating careers for our people and their workplace satisfaction relates to our long-term success and that of our customers and communities,” added Parent.

About
Envision Bank

Envision Bank is a publicly traded company under the holding company of Randolph Bancorp (NASDAQ: RNDB) and is headquartered in Stoughton, Massachusetts. Since 1851, the bank has taken a forward-looking approach to exceeding the expectations of their customers. The bank believes in a People + Tech Approach that makes banking fast, efficient, and simple. This customer-driven approach allows consumers and business owners to bank the way they want, where they want, and when they want. A top Massachusetts mortgage lender, Envision Bank takes this approach from application to closing with every customer from a first-time homebuyer to the homeowner who is ready to downsize. The bank also offers a full suite of cash management and lending products for busy business owners on the go, while not losing sight of the importance of developing personal relationships and an understanding of their customers’ needs. For more information on Envision Bank, please visit www.envisionbank.com.

About Boston Globe Media Partners LLC  

Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC provides news and information, entertainment, opinion and analysis through its multimedia properties. BGMP includes The Boston Globe, Globe.com, Boston.com, STAT and Globe Direct.

Category: News

Source: Envision Bank

CONTACT
:

Richard D. Olson, Jr.
Envision Bank
Senior Vice President, Retail and Corporate Marketing
617.925.1850
[email protected]