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Electric News Releases
Dominion Honors Nine Role Models in 11th Annual
“Strong Men & Women” Educational Series
RICHMOND, Va. - For the 11th consecutive year, nine
African-Americans -- renowned for their accomplishments and leadership -- will
join the list of distinguished honorees in Dominion Virginia Power’s “Strong
Men & Women: Excellence in Leadership” educational series.
This year’s recipients will be honored at an awards ceremony
Wednesday at the Richmond Marriott Hotel.
“Strong Men & Women” highlights the accomplishments
of selected African-American role models and converts their stories into an
educational series that is distributed during Black History Month to more than
12,000 schools across Dominion's service area in Virginia, northeastern North
Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
“Today’s youth need to know that success in adulthood
can be achieved through hard work and determination,” said Edgar M. Roach, chief
executive officer. “The ‘Strong Men & Women’ program recognizes this need and
brings to the forefront the accomplishments of others. We hope to encourage,
inspire and make a difference in a young life.”
A team of company employees selects each year’s “Strong Men
& Women.” Judges look for candidates who have demonstrated leadership and courage
in public life.
The 2001 honorees are:
Guion S. Bluford Jr. Ph.D. -- First African-American
astronaut in space. During the Vietnam War, Bluford flew 144 combat missions.
His heroism was followed by stints as an instructor pilot and staff development
engineer. Inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1997, Bluford
is vice president of the Major Program Sector of the Federal Data Corp., an
information technology and engineering services program headquartered in Bethesda,
Md.
Carl M. Brashear -- Retired master diver, U.S. Navy.
Brashear and his story as the first African-American master diver were the subject
of "Men of Honor," an inspirational Twentieth Century Fox movie. Brashear joined
the Navy in 1948 at 17 and became the only African-American diver in the Navy’s
diving school. In 1966, an injury sustained during a salvage operation resulted
in the amputation of a leg. He became the first person in naval history to be
restored to full active duty as an amputee. Brashear has earned one of the nation’s
highest peacetime awards, the Navy and Marine Corps Medal.
The Honorable Jean W. Cunningham -- Attorney, businesswoman
and former state legislator. As a member of the Virginia House of Delegates
from 1986 until she retired in 1997, Cunningham was a passionate and effective
advocate for the needs of Virginia families. The Hampton, Va., native helped
create laws and policies to guide Virginia into a century of peace and prosperity.
She is perhaps best known for her advocacy of public education. Cunningham is
currently vice president of Human Resources at Reynolds Aluminum Supply Co.,
Richmond, Va.
Rear Adm. Evelyn J. Fields -- First African-American
and first woman director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Commissioned Officers Corps. Nominated by President Bill Clinton for the position
of rear admiral, Fields was confirmed for the position by the U.S. Senate and
officially assumed her command in July 1999. She also has received the Ralph
M. Metcalfe Health, Education and Science Award from the Congressional Black
Caucus Foundation. Now the most senior woman in the Corps, Fields not only serves
as its director, but also as director of the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations.
The Honorable Henry E. Frye -- Retired chief justice,
Supreme Court of North Carolina. Frye was the first African-American to serve
as chief justice in the Tar Heel State. He successfully ran for eight-year terms
on the court in 1984 and 1992. In 1968, Frye became the first African-American
elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives. He served until 1980
when he was elected to the North Carolina Senate, serving until 1982. Frye has
been honored with the Charles D. McIver Medal from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro
for outstanding achievement in education, the first North Carolina A&T State
University Alumni Excellence Award and the UNC-Chapel Hill Distinguished Alumnus
Award.
Adolphus C. Hailstork, Ph.D. -- Composer and music
educator at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. As a world-renowned composer
and respected college professor, the Rochester, N.Y., native has gained a reputation
as one of the greatest composers in the nation. Three of Hailstork's largest
and most frequently performed choral works are “Songs of Isaiah,” (written for
the Boys Choir of Harlem), the oratorio “Done Made My Vow,” and the cantata
“I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes.” These and other award-winning works have been performed
by major orchestras, including those in Philadelphia, Chicago and New York.
Hailstork also was a professor of music and composer-in-residence at Norfolk
State University in Virginia for more than 20 years.
The Honorable Rev. Curtis W. Harris -- First African-American
mayor of Hopewell, Va. Harris has been heralded as a religious, social, civic
and political leader for more than 40 years. As Hopewell's first African-American
mayor, past president of the Virginia State Unit of the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference and pastor of Union Baptist Church in Hopewell, Harris has spent
a lifetime working for the rights of others. Currently, he is a member of the
SCLC national Board of Directors and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
The Honorable Jean L. Harris, M.D. -- First African-American
to attend Medical College of Virginia and first African-American secretary of
Human Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 1951, Harris was one of
six women in a class of more than 100 students. She has taught at several universities
and has headed Medicare and Medicaid programs, foundations, medical school programs
and private practices. At Virginia Union University, Harris established the
J.L. Harris Scholarship for minority students in math, physics, biology and
chemistry. She has been honored as one of the Top 100 Black Business and Professional
Women. She is the mayor of Eden Prairie, Minn.
Cathy L. Hughes -- Entrepreneur of radio stations.
Hughes created the "Quiet Storm," the most listened-to nighttime radio format
in the country; it’s currently heard in more than 50 markets across the nation.
She is the founder of Radio One, the largest African-American owned and operated
broadcast company in the United States. With its stations reaching more than
2 million African-American listeners daily, Radio One is often recognized as
the "voice of black America." In 1999, Hughes took the company public and joined
the ranks of only a few African-American-owned companies on the stock market
and boosted Radio One's reported value to more than $1 billion.
African-American high school students also participated in
the “Strong Men & Women” program. In September, seniors were invited to write
essays about an African-American leader featured in the “Strong Men & Women”
series. Winners received a $500 savings bond and their schools received a $750
cash award.
This year’s essay winners are:
Starr Randle
Dinwiddie High School, Dinwiddie, Va.
Kimberly Tucker
Green Run High School, Virginia Beach, Va.
Rena Johnson
James Monroe High School, Fredericksburg, Va.
Tiray Jones
J.H. Rose High School, Greenville, N.C.
Information about “Strong Men & Women” can be found on the
Internet at www.dom.com/about/strong/.
Dominion, headquartered in Richmond, Va., is one of the nation’s
largest producers of energy, with a production capability of 2.7 trillion British
thermal units of energy per day. Dominion serves 3.8 million retail natural
gas and electric customers. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's
web site at www.dom.com.
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