The PSTA Veterans Employee Resource Group Celebrates Veteran’s Day

This isn’t just a veteran’s club for PSTA employees—our Veteran’s Employee Resource Group helps the community at large. This Veteran’s Day, we honor those who served and highlight how they STILL serve their communities.

Meet Tom Heyob, Transportation Supervisor and United States Air Force Veteran

Tom Heyob started at PSTA in December 2014, beginning as a bus operator, later serving as interim supervisor, and becoming a transportation supervisor in 2017. While Tom’s job is all about buses these days, his focus was on a very different type of vehicle before his time at PSTA. He joined the United States Air Force in October 1986, following a long family tradition of serving his country—with his father, two uncles, and three cousins having all served, Tom felt it was important for him to have military experience in his life.

 

After basic training and technical school, he had a short stint on active duty and then participated in a program called Palace Chase. This program allowed enlisted people with prior college education to take a leave of absence, go on reserve status, and attend college full-time. After completing his degree in Business at the University of Cincinnati, Tom spent his time during Operation Desert Storm in Homestead, Florida, doing aircraft recovery for the Air Force until his seven-year tour ended in August 1993.

Skills Forged in Service and Carried Through Life

When asked what skills he still uses from his days in the Air Force, Tom described the discipline, duty, and honor that he carries with him every day. “My time in the military was quite short compared to others—only seven years—but I bring what I learned during that time to every part of my day-to-day life, including at work,” he proudly recalled.

Unmatched Camaraderie Thanks to PSTA’s Veteran Employees

Ever humble about his own abilities, Tom was quick to shift praise to his fellow veteran employees, speaking at length about the immense work ethic and solidarity military service gave them. At PSTA, more than 10% of the bus drivers, supervisors, and maintenance workers served in the military. “That has created a great camaraderie of men and women. Those who served have a certain type of caring for others, showing empathy, and supporting one another. And that is transferred to the people who didn’t serve in the military. They’re like pseudo-role models,” he described, eyes full of pride while speaking of his coworkers. Tom described how they try to teach and mentor others using what they learned from their service for the betterment of everyone around them.

What is the PSTA Veteran’s ERG?

According to Tom, the concept of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) was new to PSTA in 2016. It was first brought to Tom’s attention by his mentor and predecessor, Craig Daniels, who learned about them from his leadership studies program. Together, Tom and Craig began to work out the details of what would ultimately become the PSTA Veteran’s ERG in 2018. 

 

“We wanted it to have some teeth, not just ‘if you’re a veteran, join our group.’ So we do ceremonial services for holidays—Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, POWMIA (Prisoner of War, Missing in Action) Day, etc.—that all are welcome to attend. The Veteran’s ERG and every veteran’s organization throughout the United States are there to help veterans. And not just veterans here at PSTA, but for families of veterans, associate or auxiliary members of veterans, and even the community at large,” Tom explained. “It’s for people to get a better understanding of what we do and how we do it and to participate in our special events, like the one coming up here on Veteran’s Day.”

Veteran Employee Retention

Tom noticed a clear pattern of retention rate with veterans, noting that while turnover rates may spike in certain areas at certain times, but seldom with employees who served in the military. “Veterans tend to stick it out due to the incredible work ethic they bring with them,” he remarked. 

 

Even with that said, Tom has spoken with many employees, especially in the post-covid era, and offered them support and encouragement to stay on instead of trying it out somewhere else in the private sector. “Really, I’m hoping they learn from my own mistakes—I had a chance to come to PSTA earlier in 2012 but decided not to. I wish I had.” These qualities seem to ring true even beyond PSTA. According to recent data from a LinkedIn study, veterans stay with their initial company 8.3% longer than nonveterans.

Giving Back to Other Veterans and Their Families

Given his passion for veterans and the Veteran’s ERG since its creation, Tom has helped over 50 cases in the last four years, assisting veterans and their families in obtaining veteran resource assistance from the VA. An invaluable resource has been their liaison with the state of Florida, who works in tandem to help people get the necessary benefits and resources. 

 

“We’re not just helping out our core group—we’re helping out veterans in the community, whether it’s a guy on the street corner trying to get to the VA or a veteran employee needing help at work. As transportation supervisor, I have the ability to give people daily bus passes, allowing me to physically help a veteran in need of transportation,” Tom explained. 

 

In another case, the son of a veteran was looking to have a military funeral service for his father, a World War II veteran. Unfortunately, due to fire and water damage at a massive file database in St Louis, many military records were destroyed. Without these records, the only way the VA will approve these dependents of veterans involves going to the cemeteries and finding the grave markers. As long as the government had provided the grave marker, it can be proven that their loved one was a veteran and is entitled to the benefits. 

 

Thanks to the hard work of Tom and the Veteran’s ERG, they were able to coordinate efforts and finally get a military service and lag for this individual’s father who had long since passed. “The system works, it’s just a little slow,” Tom remarked. “If you persevere and don’t give up, your ultimate goal will be achieved. Not all cases have a happy ending, but we will always do our due diligence to help any veteran or family member in need and get to the bottom of every case.”