RICHMOND, Va., April 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- They installed solar panels in Uganda, repaired cars in Mexico, mentored at-risk children, worked to reduce drug use and drunken driving among teens, coordinated free dental help, supported women with cancer and performed other selfless acts of kindness to help others in their communities.
For their efforts and achievements, Dominion has selected 13 employees from six states as Volunteers of the Year.
"They represent Dominion's spirit of volunteerism at its best," said Thomas F. Farrell II, chairman, president and chief executive officer. "The good work they do for Dominion is rewarding. The good works they do for others is inspiring."
This year's winners, selected by a panel of community leaders, join more than 260 previous honorees. Photos of the individual winners are available for download on Dominion's website.
They will be honored April 7 in Richmond and April 20 in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, near Akron. This year's winners are:
- Stephen A. Alexander, a customer service representative at Northeast Shop, Wickliffe, Ohio. Since 2005, he has used athletics and academics to mentor at-risk youth through the Euclid Cowboys, a youth football and basketball organization. He works to instill in them the knowledge and desire to become leaders and responsible young men.
- Priscilla Cortney Allen, a business performance analyst with Dominion Virginia Power (DVP) in Richmond. Through Dominion's "Lunch Buddies" program, she has mentored a Blackwell Elementary School student for four years and has worked tirelessly to recruit additional co-workers for the program. In December, she took 50 children from the Lunch Buddies program to the Dominion Christmas Parade and brought hats and gloves for children who may not have been prepared for the cold weather.
- Crystal B. Bright, a projects coordinator for DVP in Virginia Beach. As the volunteer adviser for DVP's Eastern region, she manages volunteers' participation in a host of community service projects year-round. They range from collecting supplies for earthquake victims in Haiti and school children locally to sorting food at the local food bank and making repairs at the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center.
- Paul E. Caldwell Jr., a repair crew leader with Dominion Energy in Leesburg, Va. A talented mechanic, he serves as a "mechanical missionary." He leads semi-annual trips to repair cars, buses and vehicles in Mexico's Baja region, where dusty conditions, a shortage of local mechanics and general poverty make it hard for residents to maintain their vehicles. He also coordinates two days a year at his church to work on cars for anyone in need, regardless of their church membership.
- Sandra C. Christman, a training administrator with Dominion Generation at Kewaunee, Wisc. She has served as secretary of the Kewaunee High School Parent Teacher Organization and has been involved in programs for drug awareness and drunken driving awareness. She also hosts the "Plant for the Public" event to raise funds for a horticulture scholarship program.
- Vicky A. Harte, a nuclear technical specialist with Dominion Generation in Richmond. She has been a lay missionary of Mother Teresa of Calcutta's Missionaries of Charities since 2008. She regularly stays overnight at a hospice in Washington, D.C., where she helps care for patients who have no family support and are not eligible for social services assistance. She organized the first free dental clinic in Louisa County. She also volunteers with Remote Area Medical, which sponsors an annual free medical and dental clinic in southwest Virginia.
- Wendy C. Jones, a maintenance helper with Dominion Generation in Surry, Va. She compassionately supports victims of domestic violence at the Genieve Shelter in Suffolk. She volunteers throughout the year. During the holiday season, she ensures that people staying at the shelter have presents to open Christmas morning. She also fills stockings with toys for the Salvation Army and chairs the Angel Tree Project.
- Richmond B. Phillips, manager of gas operations for Dominion Energy in Cleveland, and Carol M. Zadra, an engineer with Dominion Energy in North Canton, Ohio. They each work tirelessly to raise money for breast cancer research through Cleveland's annual Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure, which entails three days of 20-mile walks. Additionally, Phillips helped organize the Kids for the Cure companion event, which has become the Dominion Kids Dash.
- Phillip W. Powell, director of conservation/load management research and program development for Dominion in Richmond. He is a 25-year volunteer and now board president of Bainbridge Community Ministry, which distributes food to the working poor in Richmond's South Side. As a member of Engineers Without Borders, he has traveled to Uganda with Virginia Tech engineering students to install solar panels to bring electricity to a window-less, rural school. His next planned project in Uganda is to lead students in installing solar panels at an orphanage near the school.
- John E. Ventura, a physical security coordinator with Dominion in Somerset, Mass. He is a retired police officer in Portsmouth, R. I., who organizes an annual ice-skating day there for children with special needs. He also coaches for the Swansea Independent Baseball League and Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School in Fall River, Mass., and volunteers with Massachusetts Special Olympics.
- Robert A. Vince, a senior safety specialist with Dominion Energy in Oakford, Pa. He and his family established Zachary's Mission after the death of his infant son from a congenital heart defect in 2008. The foundation provides "Zach Packs" filled with hope, comfort and basic necessities to families staying overnight at a hospital to be with their sick children. Since its founding, the program has expanded to serve families in western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.
- Dustin B. Vincent, an engineer with Dominion Energy in Clarksburg, W. Va. As a volunteer, he oversaw a drainage and paving project for the Harrison County Sheltered Workshop, which provides jobs for individuals with disabilities. He now sits on its board. He also coaches baseball for children with special needs in Bridgeport Little League's Challenger Division.
Dominion (NYSE: D) is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 27,600 megawatts of generation. Dominion operates the nation's largest natural gas storage system and serves retail energy customers in 14 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com.
Note to Editors: For photographs of the winners, please visit http://www.dom.com/about/media-downloads.jsp.
SOURCE Dominion
Share this article