RICHMOND, Va., June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion today announced that it will be awarded the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the highest recognition given to employers for their support of employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. Only 15 employers receive the award annually. This year, 2,199 nominations were submitted from across the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Dominion will receive the honor at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in September.
The award was created in 1996 by Secretary of Defense William Perry to publicly recognize employers who provide exceptional support to their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. The award is the highest in a series of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) awards that include the Patriot Award, the Above and Beyond Award and the Pro Patria Award. Dominion previously received those awards.
Navy Reserve Cmdr. Mike Monfalcone, a Dominion employee, nominated the company for the award.
Thomas F. Farrell II, chairman, president and CEO, said:
"It is an honor to be recognized by the Department of Defense for this award. At Dominion, we recognize that our employment policies must help those who sacrifice to serve our nation. While on deployment, our employees should not have to worry about their income and benefits or whether their families will be cared for."
Dr. Gordon Sumner, executive director of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, said:
"In the military the best leaders are those who always take care of their people -- and it is no different in the civilian workplace. Dominion has shown that it too takes care of its people. Its employees who are also Reserve and Guard members know the company is helping take care of their families while they are away serving this country."
Dominion currently supports approximately 150 drilling Guardsmen and Reservists during annual training, extended training periods and mobilizations. Seventy-six Dominion employees have been mobilized since Sept. 11, 2001.
The company provides a six-month pay and benefit continuation to employees activated to support natural disasters and border protection. For employees called to active military service to support the War on Terror, Dominion provides a pay supplement and benefits continuation for up to 60 months. The company has supplemented more than $2.7 million in pay to make whole employees who have been on annual training, on extended training orders or mobilized to support the War on Terror since 9/11.
In October 2007, Dominion signed ESGR's Statement of Support. During the ceremony, ESGR recognized Dominion as a "5-Star Employer." In April 2007, the Virginia Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve gave the company a Patriot Award and an Above and Beyond Award. In May 2008, Dominion received the Pro Patria Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Virginia ESGR.
In December 2007, the Reserve Officers Association ranked Dominion the third most Reserve-friendly in the Fortune 500.
About Dominion:
Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 26,500 megawatts of generation, 1.1 trillion cubic feet equivalent of proved natural gas and oil reserves and 14,000 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline. Dominion also owns the nation's largest underground natural gas storage system and operates more than 975 billion cubic feet of storage capacity, and serves retail energy customers in 11 states. For more information about Dominion, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.dom.com/.
About ESGR:
ESGR is a Department of Defense agency established in 1972 whose mission is to gain and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve service by recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of the law, and resolving conflicts through mediation. As the 1.2 million members of the National Guard and Reserve continue to perform an increasing number of unique missions within America's borders and beyond, ESGR will continue as the contact agency for questions and information regarding programs that support the relationship between civilian employers and their employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve. Guard and Reserve members, as well as their employers, can learn more about ESGR by visiting http://www.esgr.mil/ or calling toll-free (800) 336-4590.
