Motivated to Help Others, Motivated to Build Inclusive Communities

As an External Affairs Manager with Dominion Energy, Crystal Bright is the conduit between the company and its external partners.

She stays busy keeping government officials from seven municipalities updated on different policies and procedures that Dominion Energy may be changing or implementing as well with any news regarding impacts of major storms in the area, such as number of outages, resources available and action plans. She also fosters relationships between Dominion Energy and local nonprofits, working at events and presenting grants, which is how she first learned about VersAbility Resources.

“I met Kasia at an event six years ago where I was presenting a grant check to VersAbility for overhead skylights,” said Bright. “I always thought she was so lovely, and she always talked so passionately about VersAbility that I thought it must be a great place to work – so positive and uplifting.”

Work culture is important to Bright. She’s been with Dominion Energy since 1996, first as a customer service representative, then a dispatcher, followed by a job as a scheduler and then as an emergency communications specialist, prior to her current role.

“Dominion Energy really is a wonderful company – what I love about Dominion is that they embrace diversity and inclusion – but truly – they started employee resource groups before that was even a thing,” said Bright. “This is a company that embraces everything that you’d want in a company. They recognize that your different skills and your different backgrounds are a bonus. I’m so glad to be here.”

Dominion also supports the causes of its team members.

“As a board member, I am happy to support an organization like VersAbility Resources. I am fortunate as a Dominion Energy employee that my company has an Employee Giving Program that matches employees’ donation contributions to qualified non-profit organizations,” she said. “Thanks to our new online platform through Benevity, Dominion Energy employees can make their donations to any qualified non-profit organization directly on the site and request a matching gift at the same time, which makes it so easy and convenient.”

A Chesapeake native, Bright graduated from Indian River High School – the same year as former NBA star Alonzo Mourning, a fun bit of trivia she likes to share. Bright received her bachelor’s degree from Old Dominion University, majoring in creative writing and minoring in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Not one to stay stagnant, Bright earned two additional degrees while working full-time, including a master’s in writing popular fiction from Seton Hill University and another master’s in professional writing from New England College. She’s an avid reader and published author. Her PR and writing background have served her well at Dominion, where they appreciate her diverse skills.

Though Bright’s career has centered around forming relationships with people, she didn’t always consider herself particularly extroverted.

“I was a little shy,” she said.

Volunteer work helped bring her out of her shell.

“I find now that when I go out and do volunteer work, a level of stress comes off of me – I don’t think about myself – it’s about others. It feels good to do good.”

Bright, who currently resides in Williamsburg with her husband – a retired service worker from Dominion Energy – is very involved in her community and serves on numerous committees and boards on the Peninsula, supporting organizations such as Kiwanis, An Achievable Dream, Hampton Roads Community Action Program, and others.

When she got the call asking if she’d be interested in joining VersAbility’s Board, she was thrilled.

Bright is currently on the Development Committee, where her focus is on securing sponsors and gathering resources for fundraising events.

She is looking forward to making a difference at VersAbility.

“I want us to hit the ground running, and I want to contribute in any way that I’m able to – whether it’s an idea or a suggestion, I just to want to help others.”