Nov. 2004

(Ponca City, Texas) – ZCC’s ConocoPhillips team received its second veteran's award of the year. The Veteran Friendly Employer Award” was presented to President and Chief Operating Officer David Zachry by the Oklahoma Department of Veteran’s Affairs in a ceremony at the Oklahoma State Capitol building.

The award was the first in a forthcoming series that is part of a new national program encouraging businesses to hire veterans. President George W. Bush signed the law on Nov. 7, 2002 to amend the Jobs for Veterans Act, with the directive to revise and improve employment, training and placement services furnished to veterans and others.

The Jobs for Veterans Act also authorizes the Secretary of Labor to establish the President’s National Hire Veterans Committee. The committee’s charter is “to raise the awareness of skills of veterans and benefits of hiring veterans.”

The ceremony was attended by Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry; officials of the Department of Veteran Affairs; business representatives; John Muckelbauer, chief of staff of the U.S. Labor Department’s Veterans Employment and Training Service; and several ZCC employees.

Under the program, Zachry gives Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) Veterans’ Representative Mike Daugherty specifications on ZCC’s upcoming job openings at their Oklahoma ConocoPhillips sites. Daugherty matches the open positions to qualified veterans whose records and qualifications he has on file.

“This program is great for the Commission, the veterans and Zachry,” says Kirkwood. “I’ve been pleased with the candidates the Commission has recommended and pleased we can help provide jobs to our nation’s veterans while staffing our open positions with qualified people.”

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