With such broad participation, the $6,190 total of all goods and money collected exceeded the campaign goal of $5,000.

The drive, sponsored by Entergy’s Veterans Employee Resource Group and the company’s North American Young Generation in Nuclear and Women in Nuclear chapters, will benefit the U.S. Army 10th Combat Aviation Brigade and other selected units deployed overseas, as well as veterans in the Baton Rouge area.

“We had a great turnout, lots of donations that came from employees in all four states,” said Ashleigh Lyons, nuclear headquarters chairperson for the VERG. “I’m especially grateful for our groups in Entergy Texas, considering it was the first year they participated.”

Between June 10-28, Entergy employees brought their donations to their work locations, and on Oct. 4, Lyons delivered the collection to the Blue Star Mothers of America, Louisiana chapter 1, based in Baton Rouge. The organization packed some of the donations—including 200 handmade goodie bags from the Texas VERG chapter—into drawstring backpacks donated by the nuclear headquarters chapter. BSMA will distribute the backpacks via their homeless backpack program based in Baton Rouge.

The organization will send the remaining supplies to programs that support deployed soldiers, homeless veterans and military families staying in Fisher House while loved ones are treated at the Baton Rouge Veterans Affairs hospital.

Monetary donations will pay for shipping costs for the overseas care packages and to purchase more items that are still needed.

In expressing gratitude on behalf of the BSMA, Chapter President Denise Whitehead said, “We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the employees of Entergy. Your Christmas in July campaign was a huge success. The donations will fill many care packages for our deployed military.”

“We also want you to know that your donations extended beyond care packages,” she continued. “They helped to fill the 60 backpacks that Entergy provided for our campaign to minister to homeless veterans. We were able to include items in an additional 50 backpacks for the Veterans Affairs hospital and Fisher House. You have helped to embrace both active-duty military and veterans, one heart at a time.”

Total Entergy donations are as follows:

• Monetary donations: $3,495.00 
• Amazon gift card total: $625.00 
• Goods: $2,069.68 

“I am beyond words on how thankful I am for all the donations made to this year’s campaign,” said Lyons. “It allowed the Veterans ERG to exceed the $5,000 goal set this year, given we opened it up to the entire company. I look forward to continuing this tradition here at Entergy in the upcoming years to continue to show our active duty and veteran community that we, Entergy, care about them.”

“I am proud to be part of an organization that understands the value that veterans add – in our company and in our communities,” said Tina Morton, Entergy’s Veterans Employee Resource Group president and senior project manager, nuclear. “Our VERG team is an important part of instilling the knowledge to others that we (veterans) are assets in leadership, display adaptability to change, have diverse perspectives, are problem solvers, and have a strong work ethic and integrity – all of which are necessary for success.”

Entergy continues to meet rigorous employment and veteran integration assistance criteria, including veteran hiring and retention percentages; availability of veteran-specific resources; leadership programming; dedicated human resource efforts; pay compensation and tuition assistance programs. The VERG is an employee-led group committed to supporting the unique needs of veterans, active-duty military and their families.

The HIRE Vets Medallion Program is the only federal award program that recognizes employers who successfully recruit, hire and retain veterans. Awardees must have a veteran organization or resource group – like Entergy’s Veterans Employee Resource Group – a leadership program, dedicated human resources professionals, and pay differential and tuition assistance program.

To learn more about our military hiring efforts and how we support veterans, visit the .

Lyons and her team monitor fleet spending and analyze financial forecasts to ensure they are correctly projected, saving our customers’ dollars.

Lyons began working at nuclear headquarters in January 2023. In��2018, she started a position at Grand Gulf Nuclear Station. She began her career in nuclear in 2014 working with Duke ���ϳԹ��� and earned her bio-textile engineering degree at North Carolina State University.

Lyons was born in Melbourne, Florida, where her father was based in the U.S. Air Force. When he retired from the military, she moved to the coast of North Carolina at age four. Lyons has always had strong ties to the military due to her close connections with family and friends who are members or Veterans. She says being the chair for the Echelon VERG comes naturally to her.

“My work ethic is from my father and my grandfather’s military backgrounds,” said Lyons. “My first job was selling tickets for people to tour a battleship. I learned to earn my worth, be honest and work hard through my military connections.”

Recently, Lyons attended and helped plan a flag ceremony in New Orleans before a Saints game for Entergy Veterans.

“I want Veterans to know they’re recognized and appreciated, whether it’s through a lapel pin at Echelon or a flag ceremony at the Superdome,” she said. “When we walked from the tunnel onto the field for the flag ceremony, the looks on their faces were priceless. It’s so important to support and appreciate our military members not only overseas, but also when they come back home.”

For Lyons, the appreciation and gratefulness of active members and Veterans of the military makes her volunteerism worth the hard work.

“We take what we have for granted so easily,” she said. “I received a handwritten thank you letter from one of the soldiers we sent care packages to with board games. She said she could play the games with her family on FaceTime. It meant so much to me.”

Lyons attended the National American Young Generation in Nuclear conference this year, where she represented the fleet for the Best Chapter in Professional Development Award and was also awarded one of the yearly excellence awards. Shortly after the conference, Lyons was elected as the professional development chair of the Echelon chapter and is being nominated again for awards for work done in 2023.

“It was such an eye-opening experience to be recognized for volunteering that I would do whether I was recognized or not,” she said. “Giving back to my community is so important to me, whether it is for children or Veterans or the whole community. At the end of the day, it’s about who you impact that matters the most.”

Outside of work, she enjoys fishing. Saltwater fishing in south Louisiana is her favorite, and she has made some very impressive catches, such as a redfish that was 44 inches long and a snook that was 43 inches long and an impressive 45 pounds that was caught in Stuart, Florida.

Learn more about Entergy Nuclear by visiting����and follow on X/Twitter.

“American veterans are an essential part of our workforce across all business functions, and their leadership, experience and expertise are integral to our success as we continue our Path to Premier transformation,” said Taiwan Brown, vice president, diversity and workforce strategies.��“We are honored to again be recognized for our efforts to recruit, hire and retain veterans, and we remain committed to ensuring their success at Entergy and beyond.”

During a virtual award ceremony Nov. 8, U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie A. Su recognized Entergy alongside 858 other recipients that have shown a commitment to hiring veterans and ensuring they have a long-term career and growth plan that uses the diverse skills they acquired through their military service.

Entergy meets rigorous employment and veteran integration assistance criteria, including veteran hiring and retention percentages; availability of veteran-specific resources; leadership programming; dedicated human resource efforts; pay compensation and tuition assistance programs. In addition, our Veterans Employee Resource Group is an employee-led group of patriotic employees committed to supporting the unique needs of veterans, active-duty military and their families.

�ճ������is the only federal award program that recognizes employers who successfully recruit, hire and retain veterans. Awardees must have a veteran organization or resource group – like Entergy’s Veterans Employee Resource Group – a leadership program, dedicated human resources professionals, and pay differential and tuition assistance program.

“We are proud that the Veterans ERG was the first employee resource group founded at Entergy,” said Tina Morton, Veterans ERG president and senior project manager with Entergy Nuclear.��“By championing our veteran and military employees, our ERG focuses on educating others on the unique skillsets that veterans, military service members and their families bring to our workforce.”����

To learn more about our military hiring efforts and how we support veterans, visit Entergy’s��.

As a senior project manager in the projects department, Morton oversees station projects such as license renewals and machinery and equipment upgrades. She also serves as the chair of Entergy’s Veterans Employee Resource Group.

During her time in the Navy, she became the first woman to earn the title of a SeaBee Combat Warfare Specialist, a title awarded to members after demonstrating, “superior proficiency in naval heritage and doctrine, command and control, hazardous material/hazardous waste, environmental safety, supply & logistics, communications and communications security, weapons, general military tactics, safety, basic first aid, civil engineer support equipment and chemical, biological and radiological warfare,” as stated by the U.S. Navy Seabee Museum’s website. Their motto is a Latin phrase that translates to “Seabees can do—we build, we fight.”

Morton joined the military in 1982 and retired in 2008 with the rate as a Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist Engineering Aide.

“I joined the military to serve my country and do my part,” said Morton. “Being from a small town, I also knew I would be able to expand my travel opportunities and be assisted in my goal of a college degree.”

Since she wanted to become an architect, she chose her branch of service because they had draftsman and civil construction opportunities.

“The phrase ‘can do’ means having resilience, focus and drive while being tough and resourceful,” she said. “Seabees are well known for being resourceful and tenacious. If you want something accomplished, assign a Seabee.”

Morton explained her commitment to supporting Entergy’s Veterans Employee Resource Group as well as her local Veterans.

“I have been serving as my local American Legion Post Commander for three years,” she said. “I am inspired by my local community and Veterans.”

Morton, being a disabled Veteran herself, also advocates for disabled Veterans and has a message she wants to share.

“I work to educate others that not all medical conditions or disabilities can be seen,” she said. “Everyone has their challenges in life.”

Entergy thanks all our Veterans for their service.

Learn more about Entergy Nuclear by visiting����and follow on X/Twitter.

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#MeetThePros

Hooker was more of a basketball guy when he played back in junior high school when Michael Jordan was every ball player’s idol. He was also a drag racer and still enjoys “tinkering around with race cars” in his free time. A retired Master Sergeant with the United States Air Force Reserve, Hooker is also active in programs that help disabled veterans, such as Wounded Warriors. He spent a total of 23 years between the Air Force and Army, and is a veteran of the Iraq and Gulf wars.

Hooker and his guest will be on the sideline from the pre-game warm-ups and will be guests in the V.I.P. Lounge, as well as in the Entergy where they will enjoy the game.

Tim has an interesting 24-year journey at Entergy. He began by working at Waterford 3 Steam Electric Station in Killona, Louisiana, where he earned his senior reactor operator license. After 19 years at Waterford 3, he transferred to nuclear headquarters in 2017. There, Tim found a passion for supporting the nuclear fleet. Before working for Entergy, he was in the nuclear Navy for nine years.

“That’s how a nuclear operator became an HR professional. It’s been a unique path to get here,” said Caruthers.

Tim takes great pride in leading his highly talented team in key areas such as the development and management of our nuclear high-potential leadership development programs. The first one created was the VOLT program, which stands for vision, ownership, leadership and transformation. VOLT is now on its fourth cohort, but the first one established the Leadership Employee Resource Group, which is open to all employees.

“Slightly more than 50 percent of those who joined the VOLT program moved into positions of higher responsibility, but it’s certainly not all because of the program,” Caruthers said. “It’s a reflection of our strong nuclear succession planning process and execution. To be a part of a project that’s bigger than myself and to be able to help others while demonstrating selfless leadership and support—that’s what I’m most proud of.”

One of Tim’s greatest talents is recruiting the right people to solve a problem, making��Teamwork��his favorite��value of the Nuclear Excellence Model STAIR, which stands for Safety, Teamwork, Always learning, Integrity and Respect. STAIR is utilized to promote safety and success throughout Entergy Nuclear.

“I’ve been working on cross-functional teams for the last few years,” Caruthers said. ��“What means the most to me is being able to bring some of my experiences and insights from nuclear to help the company along the journey of becoming the premier utility. Entergy is a company that realizes its people are its greatest asset.”

Tim’s other passions are clear by looking around his office. There, he has framed pictures of his family, including his grandson, enjoying the great outdoors.

#MeetThePros

From a strong work ethic, resiliency, and patience to the ability to perform in high-pressure situations and effectively communicate with people from different backgrounds, veterans bring a unique skillset to the civilian workforce.��

Learning how to demonstrate these marketable skills to potential employers alone can be difficult. A mentor can provide invaluable guidance.��

No one knows this better than the mentors who volunteer with American Corporate Partners, a nonprofit organization that partners Fortune 500 corporate professionals with veteran proteges for a year-long, customized mentorship.��

Powerful mentorships

Headquartered in New Orleans, Entergy employs more than 12,000 workers that generate and deliver electricity to 3 million customers across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Since first partnering with ACP in 2018, Entergy volunteers have mentored 200 veterans and active-duty military spouses.��

Volunteer mentors like Scott Barrios and Dillon Allen enjoy helping their veteran proteges grow. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran with ten deployments, Barrios is the Manager of Sales and Partnerships for Entergy’s innovation lab and is currently mentoring his second ACP protege.��

“Sharing the lessons we learned in the military with proteges is a valuable experience,” he said. “There are some things I would have done differently in my transition, so it’s great to share those too,” he says.��

Barrios’ first ACP mentorship with U.S. Army veteran Robert Riley resulted in several achievements. Over the course of their year-long mentorship, the pair focused on leveraging LinkedIn, resume preparation, and job search techniques. Eventually, Riley secured a fellowship at Silicon Ranch Corporation.��

Barrios believes mentors are valuable assets in every stage of the career journey. Whether proteges are searching for entry-level jobs or are aiming to earn a management role and climb their company ranks, mentors can assist at any career point.��

Service and growth

Dillon Allen, senior manager for nuclear operations at Entergy, served in the U.S. Navy for 12 years. After transitioning out of the military, he found mentoring a fulfilling way to continue serving his community. “The mentoring program was aligned with my desire to do good things for the veterans community in a meaningful way,” said Allen.��

Learning how to demonstrate these marketable skills to potential employers alone can be difficult. A mentor can provide invaluable guidance.��

With several mentorships completed, Allen finds the moments that stand out the most are when he can help a protege adapt a growth mindset, allowing them to see the potential in their career journey. “The most meaningful moments I’ve had with my proteges were when our conversations shifted their perspective on the world,” he said.��

Allen has also discovered that growth is unique to each situation and protégé. For Allen’s latest mentee, Army veteran George Gudgeon, the mentorship resulted in an improved resume and a fellowship opportunity with Deloitte. In another mentorship with Army veteran Sally Gorham, Allen offered guidance on succeeding in a male-dominated industry, which helped Gorham to begin her career journey with confidence. While their circumstances all differed, mentorship had a positive result each time.��

ACP offers a nationwide mentoring program that has helped over 23,000 post- 9/11 veterans and active-duty spouses. Interested applicants can apply at .

Article originally published in the May-June 2022 issue of��RecruityMilitary’s ��magazine.

A local program is helping U.S. military members make the transition back home to the private corporate work world. In honor of , we focus on this mentor and protégé program with Entergy and the nonprofit .

Scott Barrios, a volunteer mentor and Entergy’s electric technology senior account manager, and his protégé Rob Riley talk with WVUE-TV about the importance of career coaching and this mentorship program for returning veterans and active-duty military spouses. Watch below:

More than 100 Entergy volunteers have mentored about 200 veterans and active-duty military spouses since our partnership began in 2018.

Entergy is proud to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor four years in a row for our veterans hiring and retention programs, leadership training and veteran integration assistance.

Interested in a career at Entergy? Visit our website��.

“Entergy is a trusted partner for our nation’s veterans,” said Kathryn Collins, senior vice president and chief human resources officer. “Veterans are an integral part of our team, bringing invaluable skill and passion to their roles and strengthening our mission to becoming the premier utility.”

The company meets rigorous employment and veteran integration assistance criteria, including veteran hiring and retention percentages; availability of veteran-specific resources; leadership programming; dedicated human resource efforts; pay compensation and tuition assistance programs.

The recognizes job creators who successfully recruit, employ and retain veterans. The 2021 HIRE Vets Medallion Program Demonstration allowed the Department of Labor’s Veterans Employment and Training Service to raise awareness and enable employers to gain acknowledgment. Awardees must have a veteran organization or employee resource group – like Entergy’s Veterans ERG – a leadership program, dedicated human resources professionals, and pay differential and tuition assistance program. The HIRE Vets Medallion Award is the only federal award recognizing exceptional achievement in veteran employment.

To learn more about our military hiring efforts, and how we support and retain veterans check out the .