THE FIGHTER

Jonell Carver

Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Hope Gas, Inc.

SUPERPOWERS: Caring and being willing to fight for what is right

Jonell Carver loves puzzles. When she was unsure of what career path she wanted to follow as a girl, her mother showed her an article about how puzzle fans often enjoy engineering, and Carver decided to give it a try. Her love of the outdoors led her to choose civil engineering, and she was lucky enough to be offered a job by Dominion Transmission upon graduating.

“I credit all my successes to my parents. My parents were both employees with the state and very hardworking. They instilled in me at a very young age that, when you start something, you see it to the end.” And her successes have been many. Currently, Carver is senior vice president and chief operating officer at Hope Gas, a position she earned after years of pulling off impressive feats such as helping to grow Dominion Energy WV’s Pipeline Replacement and Enhancement Program from about $20 million to triple that—and still growing.

Even a multiple sclerosis diagnosis a decade ago couldn’t slow her down. “When I was first diagnosed, I remember talking to my CEO and telling her I wanted to step down. She told me not to be quick to decide, and we could think about that if needed in the future. I’m very thankful she did that. I have learned to live with my illness, and there are good days and bad days, but finishing the day strong is always an accomplishment to me. I am a single mother of three boys, an owner of a farm where I raise alpacas, llamas, chickens, and dogs, all while running a company that has some crazy days. If I get my family fed after games, practices, and cleaning up the farm, that is a good day!”

Even so, Carver is hesitant to give herself too much credit, hoping instead to highlight the hard work of those around her. “Everything I have accomplished, I owe to being surrounded by an incredible team who have been great mentors, partners, and employees.” 

Written by Tara Wine-Queen

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