Jennifer Passey Receives 2021 Women Of Influence Award

Press release from the City of Fairfax:

04/29/2021 5:00 PM

The City of Fairfax Commission for Women has selected Jennifer Passey, director of engagement for Girls on the Run of NOVA, as the recipient of the 2021 Women of Influence Award: Celebrating Women Making a Difference in the City.

When considering “women of influence,” Passey reflected on the community at large and GOTR NOVA. “I am honored,” she said. “We have a lot of smart, brilliant women in the city, and they all have something to contribute. We all have, as I say with Girls on the Run, star power.”

GOTR NOVA, a city-based non-profit organization, serves 5,000 pre-teen girls throughout the region. The organization’s 10-week interactive program helps girls develop positive/healthy relationships, grow in confidence, set goals, and create healthy habits.

“When you really focus on the young people in a community, those strong girls become strong women who build strong communities,” Passey said.

GOTR NOVA programs culminate in a celebratory 5K event, which Passey was determined would take place in 2020 despite the pandemic. She and her fellow coaches masked-up to work with her 17-member Fairfax City team, cheering as every team member crossed the finish line in the Veterans Amphitheater. (The event has been scheduled for 2021.)

“We all need strong people to look up to,” Passey said, “and we need to see the representation of who we want to be, what paths we want to follow — or encouragement to create our own paths.”

Passey served on the GOTR NOVA inaugural IDEA Commission to advance inclusivity, diversity, equity, and access for the organization. The former Fairfax City councilmember also served the city Planning Commission.

“I want us all to take the time to look behind us, and bring people along with us,” Passey said.

On April 20, the Commission for Women gathered on the City Hall portico for a masked, socially distant ceremony to honor Passey, with a presentation by Mayor David Meyer.

The City of Fairfax Commission for Women established the Women of Influence Award in 2020 to recognize and celebrate outstanding women who live in the city and have made a significant impact on the lives of Fairfax City residents. Click here for more information on the award.

Click here for information on the City of Fairfax Commission for Women.

This press release was produced by the City of Fairfax. The views expressed here are the author’s own.