RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion (NYSE: D) has been 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. The company was one of 15 employers recognized by Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve(ESGR), an agency of the Department of Defense, at a ceremony last night in Washington, D.C.

The Freedom Award was created in 1996 by Secretary of Defense William Perry to 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 ESGR awards that also includes the Patriot Award, the Above and Beyond Award and the Pro Patria Award. Dominion previously received those awards.

Thomas F. Farrell II, chairman, president and CEO, said:

"Dominion is pleased and humbled to receive this prestigious honor. We know citizen-soldiers well. We know that in all cases, active duty requires sacrifice. Those called to serve must leave behind careers, family, friends and all that is familiar.

"Our employees who are serving our country by rebuilding infrastructure demolished by natural disasters or by fighting in combat zones must know that their jobs will be safe when they return -- and that their families are cared for. We believe our policies and the efforts of so many of our employees to send care packages help to supply that sense of comfort."

Navy Reserve Cmdr. Mike Monfalcone, a Dominion employee who nominated the company for the Freedom Award, said:

"Not only did Dominion support my family during my first mobilization from 2001 to 2003, it is now supporting me while I serve in Baghdad, Iraq.

"My family has received overwhelming support in the form of cards, care packages and gift certificates from my coworkers. I have also received the generous donations of employees companywide through an employee-sponsored Adopt-a-Soldier program. Further, Dominion's above-and-beyond culture of caring and exemplary pay and benefits program have allowed me to focus on my mission overseas."

Eighty-three Dominion employees have been mobilized since Sept. 11, 2001.

The company provides a six-month pay and benefit continuation to employees activated to support efforts not related to war, such as natural disasters and border protection. For employees called to active military service, 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.

Recently the company said that it would make changes to policies related to its long-term disability, pension and medical plans. Among the changes:

-- Dominion employees injured in war will receive long-term disability benefits;

-- Employees injured in war and unable to return to work will accrue years-of-service credit under the company's pension plan; and

-- Employees injured in war and unable to return to work will be covered under Dominion's medical plan.

In December 2007, the Reserve Officers Association ranked Dominion the third most Reserve-friendly in the Fortune 500.

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 27,000 megawatts of generation, 1.1 trillion cubic feet equivalent of proved natural gas and oil reserves, 14,000 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline and 6,000 miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion operates the nation's largest natural gas storage facility with 975 billion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves retail energy customers in 12 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at http://www.dom.com/.

SOURCE: Dominion

CONTACT: Mark Lazenby, +1-804-819-2042, Mark.Lazenby@dom.com, or Ryan
Frazier, +1-804-819-2521, C.Ryan.Frazier@dom.com, both of Dominion

Web site: http://www.dom.com/