RICHMOND, Va. – Dominion, one of the nation’s
largest energy producers that supplies electricity or natural gas to more
than 5 million customers, recently honored 12 employees as Volunteers of
the Year for 2006, recognizing their longstanding service to others and commitment
to their communities.
Coming
from six states, the honorees represent the company’s 23-year
history of supporting volunteerism among members of its work force. The
Dominion Foundation, the company’s philanthropic arm, donates $1,000
to charitable organizations chosen by each award recipient.
The honorees were:
Mark Barnes, Dominion Delivery, Akron,
Ohio. Through many years of coaching basketball, baseball and soccer, Barnes
instills self-confidence, responsibility and teamwork in children.
Dianne
Dean, Dominion Resources Services, Richmond, Va.
Dean has raised more than $60,000 for the Diabetes Foundation and has devoted
nearly 800 volunteer hours to the organization.
Mark Gelinas,
Dominion Generation, Waterford, Conn. Gelinas is a long-time student mentor
and serves on the board of the Waterford Youth Services Bureau. He also volunteers
as a boating safety instructor to the general public.
Tori Guthrie,
Dominion Resources Services, Richmond. Guthrie volunteers as a counselor
for Camp Comfort Zone, befriending children who have lost a parent. She also
serves as a mentor and tutor to refugee children from Bosnia, Congo and Afghanistan.
Trey
Hart, Dominion Delivery, Richmond. For the past decade,
Hart has volunteered for the Tri-Cities Workcamp, an organization that repairs
homes in impoverished areas. He works with youth of area Catholic churches
teaching them home repair skills and religious studies.
Bobby Johnson,
Dominion Delivery, Suffolk, Va. Johnson knows how to build a house from the
ground up. He has contributed those skills and countless volunteer time to
his community by helping to build outdoor classrooms, wheelchair-accessible
fishing piers and osprey nest platforms.
Johnny Overacre, Dominion
Generation, Clover, Va. Overacre has devoted more than 30 years of service
to local volunteer fire and rescue departments. He currently serves at least
20 hours each week as a firefighter and emergency medical technician.
Bob
Pastorik, Dominion Energy, Clarksburg, W.Va. For 14
years, Pastorik has served as a board member for Genesis Youth Crisis Center
and the Alta Vista Children’s Shelter, which provides emergency services
for mistreated children. The shelter has helped more than 1,000 children
ages 5-12.
Bev Robinson, Dominion Generation, Glen
Allen, Va. Robinson has inspired Dominion employees to help support soldiers
overseas. She organized a drive that sent 700 care packages to troops serving
in Iraq.
Gloria
Smith, Dominion Generation, Mount Storm, W.Va.
Smith uses her skills to help improve the health and well-being of her neighbors
in the rural and underserved areas of West Virginia. She also volunteers
for the environment by assisting in the creation of conservation and preservation
programs that promotes environmental stewardship.
Danita Testerman,
Dominion Exploration & Production,
Oklahoma City, Okla. Testerman’s leadership in Chili Cook-offs has
netted more than $11,000 for victims of Hurricane Katrina and $9,000 for
a local school. As a member of the Oklahoma Assistive Technical Foundation
board, she helps administer federal and state funds that are loaned to people
who cannot qualify through normal banking channels to purchase hearing aids,
wheelchair lifts and other equipment.
Emerson White, Dominion
Energy, Delmont, Pa. When White rides a bicycle, he raises money. His fundraising
efforts have generated more than $60,000 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society,
including $12,840 in 2006 alone. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Diabetes
Foundation and Habitat for Humanity have also benefited from White’s
cycling events.
"The term ‘everyday hero’ is a blend of
the ordinary and the exceptional," noted Thomas F. Farrell II, chairman,
president and chief executive officer. "But, there is nothing ordinary
about people who give tirelessly of themselves to serve others – and
do so not for pay or recognition but from a heartfelt desire to help. On
behalf of Dominion, I salute the energy, passion and commitment of these
everyday heroes."
Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers
of energy, with a portfolio of more than 26,500 megawatts of generation. Dominion
serves retail energy customers in 11 states. For more information about Dominion,
visit the company's Web site at http://www.dom.com.
