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American Water Honored as a 2024 VETS Indexes 5 Star Employer

Fourth consecutive year the company has been recognized by VETS Indexes

CAMDEN, N.J. APRIL 19, 2024American Water (NYSE: AWK), the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company, announced today that it has earned the 2024 VETS Indexes 5 Star Employer designation provided by the VETS Indexes Employer Awards. The award recognizes American Water’s commitment to recruiting, hiring, retaining, developing, and supporting veterans and the military-connected community.

“It is an honor for American Water to be acknowledged by VETS Indexes for our continued dedication to our veteran workforce,” said Melanie Kennedy, American Water Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. “We value the chance to offer rewarding opportunities for our veterans, active duty, and military spouses and we are grateful to collaborate with many of them to deliver clean, safe, and reliable wastewater services across the nation, including 18 military bases.”

As the most objective and comprehensive evaluation of veteran employers, the VETS Indexes Employer Awards program has set a new standard in veteran employment data. The in-depth survey and recognition program analyze employers’ policies, practices, and outcomes in detail, across the following categories:

  • Veteran job candidate recruiting and hiring
  • Veteran employee development and retention
  • Veteran-inclusive policies and culture
  • Support for members of the National Guard and Reserves
  • Military spouse/family support

“As a U.S. Army Veteran and employee of American Water it is a true testament to the company’s dedication and effort in building a diverse workforce that is military friendly,” said Manuel Cifuentes Jr., Senior Principal Regulatory Analyst, and leader of the American Water military Employee Business Resource Group – Strength Through Service. “Being recognized by VETS Index is proof of the company’s commitment to safety, teamwork, and to seeking out those that had served who share the same values”.      

Additionally, American Water earned the 2024 Military Friendly® Gold Employer designation for its industry-leading efforts on hiring and supporting our nation’s military veterans. 


“The extraordinary efforts of American Water to hire, retain and support veterans and the military-connected community have earned the organization one of our highest awards,” said George Altman, President of VETS Indexes. “Competition for the VETS Indexes Employer Awards was tougher than ever in 2024, as a record number of organizations participated. Even with hundreds of employers in the running, the veterans program at American Water stood out from the rest. Congratulations to American Water on this outstanding achievement!”

For more information on VETS Indexes Employer Awards, visit: https://vetsindexes.com/employer-awards-methodology.

Learn more about American Water’s Inclusion, Diversity and Equity strategy here.


About American Water

American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. American Water’s 6,500 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company’s national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.

For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram.

About VETS Indexes
VETS Indexes is a leading voice on veteran employment issues, overseeing the VETS Indexes Employer Awards, hosting the twice-yearly Employing U.S. Vets Conference, unearthing unique and unprecedented data on veteran employment through the Veteran Employment Benchmarking Service, and developing custom indexes, linked to financial products, that track the performance of the publicly traded companies that have established themselves as the best employers for veterans.

The VETSX and VTRNIX indexes were created on the premise that the companies that make the best use of the highly talented, yet under-valued, talent pool that veterans represent will ultimately see a benefit to their bottom lines. The performance of the indexes has emphatically confirmed that thesis, outpacing the S&P 500.   

As the world’s first resource for U.S. veteran themed indexes, our mission is to provide innovative solutions that recognize the value created by the mission-critical mindset, unique skills, and specialized training that veterans bring to the workplace. Our mission also includes a commitment to always donate a significant portion (target of 20% and no less than 5%) of our net profits to charitable organizations that support veterans and their families. 

“SERVING THOSE WHO SERVED” - VETS Indexes provides a social and governance impact via those public companies that support the hiring and professional development of our military veterans.  

Learn more about us at VETSIndexes.com and follow us on social media channels via LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.  


Media Contacts

Darius Merriweather

Manager, Corporate Communications and External Affairs

856.726.1742

darius.merriweather@amwater.com