BNSF named Large Employer of the Year for Texas veterans

FORT WORTH, TEXAS – BNSF Railway, one of the largest freight railroad networks in North America, was honored this month by the Texas Veterans Commission for its dedication to hiring veterans. The Fort Worth based company was recognized at an awards ceremony on Aug. 9 in Humble, Texas.

Each year, TVC staff nominates businesses and organizations that demonstrate effective veteran employment initiatives and have embraced veterans into its workforce. BNSF, which was named “Large Employer of the Year,” has a workforce of more than 36,000 people. One in five BNSF employees have served in a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, and almost 30 percent of the company’s new hires are veterans.

“We believe military veterans have a unique set of skills and experiences that are highly valuable to our organization,” said VP of Safety Training & Operations Support, Mark Schulze, who also serves as an executive sponsor of BNSF’s BRAVE Business Resource Group (BRG). “We hold in high esteem the sacrifices they’ve made in serving our nation and are deeply committed to helping them achieve their career goals within our company.”

BNSF has more than 500 team members involved in its BRAVE BRG, which supports veterans, reservists and first responders. BRAVE helps members engage with communities, build leadership skills, and further develop their careers. BRAVE also supports the human resources team in developing strategies for recruiting, hiring, and retaining some of the best talent the military has to offer.

About Texas Veterans Commission

The Texas Veterans Commission advocates for and provides superior service to veterans that will significantly improve the quality of life for all Texas veterans, their families, and survivors. The TVC assists veterans with receiving their benefits, provides funding to agencies which provide direct services to veterans and administers the Hazlewood Act education benefits. Learn more at www.tvc.texas.gov.

Contact:
Kendall Kirkham Sloan
Director, External Communications
Media@BNSF.com