VIENNA, Va., May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Andres Rugerio, a Tier 2 Help Desk Analyst at InspiriTec's Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) Support Center at Fort Knox, Kentucky, has received the 2025 SourceAmerica Honor Roll for Veterans Award.
Given to one individual each year, the award recognizes an AbilityOne employee who is also a veteran with a service-related disability. SourceAmerica is a nonprofit that connects federal agencies and other customers with a national network of nonprofit agencies that employ people with disabilities.
"I feel valued," Rugerio said, reacting to the news. "People are seeing how much I care for the company, how much I care about assisting veterans, and how much the company cares."
Over 24 years and 10 months of service in the U.S. military, Rugerio was deployed three times to Afghanistan, once to Iraq, and to assignments in Kosovo, Wake Island, and elsewhere. When his military career finished, he had a range of physical injuries as well as PTSD. He joined the civilian workforce, but, in his own words, "I still had PTSD issues, and I decided it wasn't for me."
When a friend suggested he apply at InspiriTec, he hesitated at first. "But as soon as I started working here, I loved the environment and enjoyed working with and for the military. It's a perfect fit."
Since 2000, InspiriTec has pursued a dual commitment to delivering superior IT and Help Desk customer service and employing professionals with disabilities, veterans, and disadvantaged individuals. John Connolly, InspiriTec CEO and cofounder, said, "We're so pleased and proud that Andres has won this national recognition. He truly deserves it. He embodies the notion of 'one team, one fight,' an ethic you'll find both in the military and at InspiriTec."
Connolly noted that InspiriTec now employs 156 veterans, 142 of whom are people with disabilities. "They are, first and foremost, excellent at the work they do," Connolly stressed. "We are committed to excellent service, and we're also committedto giving our employees everything they need to deliver it. If we take better care of our people, they will take better care of our customers."
Jeff Carver, deputy director of the DMDC project, says, "Andres really loves his job, and he loves the interaction with the team. He knows that though he works in IT, that work has a human impact throughout the organization. If I have to fulfill a prescription but the pharmacy's down, he can bring it back online for all of us."
As a case manager at Fort Knox, Alison Ball is a member of that extra layer of interaction that makes InspiriTec different. Case managers are liaisons between management and employees. They field questions and problems, and help employees get what they need to excel. Ball calls InspiriTec, where she's been for five years, "my favorite job yet. I get to work with people, get to put all my skills to work, and I get to see the impact, see changes happen."
She is also a big fan of Rugerio. "He doesn't slow down, same train, same speed. He likes to be positive, and he knows it's contagious. He's also thoughtful. If he knows somebody is facing some issues, he might just go and mow their lawn. That's what people do here."
Rugerio is also good with the baked goods. "I'm like the coffee-and-donut guy for my group," he says with a laugh. "And on birthdays I make food. My family's Mexican, my wife's is Hawaiian, and in both cultures food is important."
"When military people first come into the workforce, it can be overwhelming," Ball says. "Andres is comfortable with expressing his struggles. People learn they can do that here, and that they can always find people who can relate."
"This is not an easy job," Carver says. "Callers wouldn't be calling if everything was going well. Sometimes when fielding a call, you have to have the people skills, the empathy to show understanding and patience when people are frustrated, confused, or just having a bad day. And then you have to have the skills to fix it. Andre's really good at all of that."
"We do things a little differently here," Connolly says, "and I think our culture has helped Andres along." That's a sentiment Rugerio happily echoes. "What motivates me is the camaraderie, knowing that there's always someone, a case manager, a coworker, you can talk to. And I also know that if I myself have issues, and sometimes I do, I can get help." That help includes workplace accommodations. Rugerio mentions needing, and getting, a stand-up desk, a better chair for back support, and a better headset. "Best of all, I'm a tech guy, I can help out people, help them stay operational. That really centers me and keeps me involved."
The winner of the SourceAmerica Honor Roll for Veterans Award was announced on May 7, during the Xforce National Conference in Indianapolis.
For more information about the SourceAmerica awards, click here. For more on the work and mission of InspiriTec, visit them at InspiriTec.org.
About InspiriTec
InspiriTec provides award-winning Contact Center and IT Help Desk solutions, delivering superior customer service by combining customized technology with affirmative employment of professionals with disabilities, veterans, and disadvantaged individuals. InspiriTec was founded in 2000 by a core management team under the Computer Science program at the University of Pennsylvania. Today, employees perform under an innovative workplace model that integrates intelligent technology with inspiring compassion to raise the standards of contact center and IT support for businesses, nonprofits, and government organizations.
Media Contact
Dean Marino, InspiriTec, Inc., 1 2155746714, [email protected], https://inspiritec.org
SOURCE InspiriTec, Inc.
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