RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Carlos Hopkins and Virginia National Guard senior leaders attended a statement of support signing ceremony between Dominion Energy executives and Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Oct. 17, 2019, at Dominion Energy’s new headquarters building in Richmond, Virginia.
Brig. Gen. Toni M. Lord, VNG air component commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Ronald L. Smith Jr., Virginia Army National Guard command sergeant major, also attended the ceremony, during which Dominion Energy pledged their support of their employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve.
Several Dominion employees, many of whom served in the military, also participated in the signing ceremony.
The statement was formally signed by Carter Reid, Dominion Energy’s executive vice president, chief administrative officer and corporate secretary, before being presented to Joe Straten, chair of Virginia’s ESGR committee.
“It’s always good to see people like Dominion and some of the other great companies in our nation that whole-heartedly support the Guard and Reserve,” Straten said during the ceremony.
The ceremony was sponsored by Dominion Energy’s veterans resource group, which is championed by Adam Lee, their Vice President and chief security officer.
“The veterans resource group is a three-pillared effort,” said Lee. “It supports the business of Virginia by bringing in talent by identifying, recruiting and retaining veteran talent within Dominion Energy. It focuses on the employees who are veterans and need certain accommodations such as service in the Guard and Reserves. It also focuses on giving back to the veteran community.
“That’s what the resource group is all about, and frankly that’s really a reflection of the values of Dominion Energy.”
Reid spoke about the company’s commitment to hiring Guard and Reserve service members and veterans.
“We are very focused on diversity and inclusion overall but in particular, we’re supporting our veterans and those who have given their time and efforts and put their lives on the line for our country,” said Reid. “We have increased our hiring of military veterans to one in five hires at Dominion Energy. Right now, 13% of our work force are military veterans.”
Lord said that level of commitment means a great deal to the Virginia National Guard.
“I am honored to be part of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve event recognizing Dominion Energy’s long history of military support,” said Lord. “Employer support is vital to success of the Virginia National Guard. We appreciate Dominion’s continued support and investment to their Guard and Reserve employees, families, and veterans of the community.”
Goochland High School Marine Corps Junior ROTC cadets performed the color guard for the ceremony.
ESGR seeks to foster a culture in which all employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserve in the United States. ESGR facilitates and promotes a cooperative culture of employer support for National Guard and Reserve service by developing and advocating mutually beneficial initiatives, recognizing outstanding employer support, increasing awareness of applicable laws and policies, resolving potential conflicts between employers and their service members, and acting as the employers’ principal advocate within DoD. Paramount to ESGR’s mission is encouraging employment of Guardsmen and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective and proven leadership to the civilian workforce.
For more information about Virginia ESGR, visit www.esgr.mil/va.