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For Molly and Michelle, bringing your full self to work is extremely important. Luckily, they are able to show up: together.
This article is about:
Molly and Michelle share their experience with our Pride ERG, being women in the energy industry, and bringing their full selves to the workplace every day.Having a support system means that you have people to rely on when you need them the most — something that Molly and Michelle know very well because of their roles in gas operations support in Salt Lake City, Utah. Michelle, a lead leak survey technician, goes into the field to inspect facilities for potential gas leaks. As an associate gas project specialist, Molly helps support other operations groups, such as the leak-survey technicians, with projects that need additional assistance.
They share what it’s like working with your spouse and how the Pride employee resource group has helped them reach their full potential at work each and every day.
Molly: The best part about working with Michelle is the fact that we can always rely on each other. Our departments work closely together, so if one of us is unsure of something on a project, we are always able to call each other up or swing by a work site to help with assessing a game plan for our next steps. If one of us is having a hard day, it’s always nice to see one another — even if it is a quick glance or smile.
Michelle: Working with my spouse has been an amazing experience.
Molly: When I first got started at Dominion Energy, I was actually kind of terrified to come out to anyone that I worked with. Especially due to the fact that on my first day at work, I had to secure some time off for my wedding. Once I did that, it was like a clock counting down the days until I would be forced to tell people.
The questions soon started flowing: What does HE do for work? Where is HE from? I finally got fed up with the “HE” questions and I came out to the person I worked with every day. It turned out that he didn’t mind at all and after I told this person that I was marrying a SHE not a HE, I told him who I was getting married to. Since my wife had earned so much respect from everyone that she had encountered at Dominion Energy, this person was excited for us. After that, it kind of trickled out one day at a time.
Michelle: Being a female in this industry has always been a bit of a challenge. The natural gas industry has historically been a male-dominated world, as with most utilities. I was raised with four brothers, three sisters and a father in the electrical industry. All of us kids worked in some fashion as technicians performing lighting and electrical maintenance service for the family business. Believe me when I say I have been subjected to pretty shallow stereotyping.
Early on in my professional career, I learned the only way to earn respect from your peers is to work hard and maintain a commitment to excellence. Eventually, the people that matter will see your true potential.
When I came to Dominion Energy, I started in an entry-level position and quickly moved into a leadership role. Being the only female in my group was challenging at first and, at times, a little uncomfortable. I have a huge amount of respect and gratitude for my supervisors who handled those situations professionally and with discretion. On another level, coming out to my peers here didn’t happen until a few years in and has been a super positive experience.
“I learned the only way to earn respect from your peers is to work hard and maintain a commitment to excellence. Eventually, the people that matter will see your true potential.”
- Michelle Striley, Lead Leak Survey Technician
Molly: Go for it! If you like tinkering around with tools, if you like playing with big-kid toys, fixing things that others can’t, knowing that because of what you did at work that day could save lives, then do it.
Michelle: I hope that I can be a good example to young girls and other women who aspire to work in any field. Being a frontline worker takes some grit, but it is a very satisfying job in that every task you do is a collective effort to keep the lives of the public safe. Being a leak survey technician means it’s our job to ensure that our existing natural gas facilities are free from hazards. It is a real commitment but knowing that the result means a safer community is what keeps me motivated.
Michelle: Inclusion is a beautiful thing. As a human race, we have a deep history of shaming others for their ways of life usually based on prejudice, ignorance or lack of understanding.
Education and the willingness to accept that we are all beautiful humans is what will improve our society and the way we view ourselves and others.
Molly: I joined the Pride ERG to support others in Dominion Energy who might be as terrified as I was to come out or to be able to be themselves at work without judgement. I also wanted to get to know other coworkers. I hope that keeping the Pride ERG alive will help not just LGBTQIA+ employees but all employees to get educated, to accept one another for who they are, and to see each other for their talent and knowledge. After all, that is what “One Dominion Energy” (one of our company values) is supposed to be about.
Michelle: I am happy to say that I can fully show up to work as my true self. I don’t think there has been any other time in my life where I felt more at ease in my job. Joining the Pride ERG has provided me with a professional group of people where I can feel safe to be who I am and proud of it. I believe that when you feel supported by your community, you have a greater capacity to succeed and become a valuable contributor to the company as a whole.
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