Los Angeles, CA (October 23, 2012): The following is an open-letter to Mercury employees from Joseph A. Czyzyk, Chairman & CEO of Mercury Air Group, Inc., establishing the Jeanie Schreider Educational Advancement Scholarship:

“On September 8, Mercury lost Jeanie Schreider, a longtime employee, to cancer. This past Friday, we held a memorial service here at Mercury to celebrate Jeanie’s life. Less than a year ago, she was diagnosed with a massive cancer that caused her spine to collapse. She underwent surgery, chemo and radiation treatments as well as alternative regimes all while keeping a smile and a drive to get better. Her spirit was amazing. She never complained. She would always tell me that she would get better so that she could come back to work. Regretfully, that day never came.

Jeanie started with Mercury in 1990. She began as a shipping agent in our Sea Air Cargo department and then was promoted to legal assistant in our legal department. Her hard work and passion for Mercury was easily recognized and she wore many different hats for the company over the last twenty plus years—from having more and more responsibility within our legal department to trying her hand at marketing our air cargo business and launching websites. Her last assignment was to oversee all of cargo’s legal contracting and TSA compliance efforts. Jeanie helped qualify Mercury Air Cargo as the TSA’s first on-airport cargo screening operation in the United States. She did it all.

It is in recognition of Jeanie’s spirit and drive to always do more and learn more that I am pleased to announce the formation of the Jeanie Schreider Educational Advancement Scholarship. This $5,000 scholarship will be awarded annually to one or more employees who have been with Mercury for over three years and are taking college level classes to attain an Associate or Bachelor’s degree.

Human Resources will develop a very basic application and circulate details. The Jeanie Schreider Educational Advancement Scholarship will be paid in monthly installments during the school year. The Scholarship can go toward tuition and the cost of books. This year, we are starting the Scholarship application process now and intend to award the first Scholarship(s) before year-end then begin in 2013 with the September timing.

For those of us who knew Jeanie, we’ve all lost a wonderful friend and colleague. It’s my hope that the Scholarship in her honor will help to keep her memory alive and allow other members of Mercury to advance their personal and professional careers while with Mercury, just like Jeanie did.”