EnergySolutions : Eversource Employee Returns from Iraq to a Warm Welcome

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.- Over the past year, Bill Gelinas had one foot in two different worlds nearly 6,000 miles apart. After a six month tour of duty in Iraq, he's back home and returning to work at an Eversource control center. Responsible for leading a team that oversees the flow of electricity around Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, he credits his military experience with enhancing his performance.

"The Air Force and Eversource positions are totally different jobs with skills that complement each other," said Bill Gelinas, Senior System Operations Supervisor at Eversource. "Both jobs are in high-pace environments with critical missions."

Over 600 active Eversource employees have bravely served our country. Military Times magazine surveyed Fortune 1,000 companies and top government contractors and rated their vet-friendliness in three areas: recruiting, corporate culture and reserve policies. Eversource ranked among the top 50 companies.

"With hundreds of veterans and reservists working for our company, we know firsthand the distinctive values they bring, such as devotion to teamwork, discipline, and proven leadership," said Craig Hallstrom, President of Regional Electric Operations at Eversource. "We're proud to give our service members and their families the support and opportunities they've earned."

Along with the welcome he received upon his return home, Gelinas says he truly appreciates the unwavering commitment from the company, his friends and colleagues over the years.

"The support I get from the company for both jobs is really fantastic," he added. "My friends and coworkers were constantly sending care packages full of snacks, warm socks, hygiene products and pounds of Dunkin Donuts coffee. They also helped run a toy drive for children at a Baghdad orphanage."

As an Air Force senior master sergeant, Gelinas was also part of a leadership team transporting to Baghdad everything from bottled water to battle tanks.

"Maintaining clear lines for precise communications is a crucial part of my military and civilian jobs," Gelinas went on to say. "Whether it's a military transport plane moving critical supplies into a war zone, or high voltage transmission lines moving electricity around Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, clear communications are the key to success and keeping folks safe."

Gelinas is a 13 year veteran stationed at Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee. He lives in East Longmeadow with his wife Liz and their three children ranging in age from 18 months to five years old. He was born and raised in Springfield.

Eversource (NYSE: ES) transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas to 1.7 million customers throughout Massachusetts, including approximately 1.4 million electric customers in 140 communities and 300,000 gas customers in 51 communities. Recognized as the top U.S. utility for its energy efficiency programs by the sustainability advocacy organization Ceres, Eversource harnesses the commitment of its approximately 8,000 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and superior customer service. For more information, please visit our website (www.eversource.com) and follow us on Twitter (@eversourceMA) and Facebook (facebook.com/EversourceMA).

CONTACTS:

Priscilla Ress

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Frank Poirot

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