Arlington will honor three women – Jacqueline (Jackie) Snelling, Jennifer Nycz-Conner and Patricia Funegra — as the county’s 2017 Women of Vision at an award ceremony Tuesday, June 27. The women are being recognized by the county’s Commission on the Status of Women for their outstanding commitment and leadership in the community.
The commission also will honor Dr. Emma Violand-Sanchez with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Violand-Sanchez has been an active community member and civic leader in Arlington for decades. She served on the Arlington School Board and is the founder and past president of the Dream Project, Inc.
The celebration will take place at 7 p.m. on June 27 at Arlington Economic Development’s offices, 1100 North Glebe Road, Suite 1500, Arlington.
Tickets are not required, but a $25 donation per person is requested. For more information on the Women of Vision Awards, at https://commissions.arlingtonva.us/commission-status-women/csw-awards/.
ABOUT THE 2017 Arlington County Women of Vision:
• Jacqueline (Jackie) Snelling — Government
A public servant in Arlington for many years, Snelling worked closely with school officials in the 1990s to address capacity issues, producing the first space guidelines for construction of schools in Arlington, ensuring that equitable space was given to all schools. Following the Sept. 9, 2011 attack on the Pentagon, she worked to establish a public preparedness program that tapped into Arlington’s volunteers. Her work in this area eventually resulted in the formation of the Emergency Planning Advisory Commission.
• Jennifer Nycz-Conner — Business
As editor at large for the Washington Business Journal. Nycz-Conner often covers issues affecting women. She has worked with the journal’s Women Who Mean Business program to recognize top female executives in the region.
• Patricia Funegra — Nonprofit
Founder and CEO of the non-profit La Cocina VA, whose mission is to “use food as the agent for social and economic change generating workforce and economic development,” Funegra empowers women by teaching them employable skills, while also addressing hunger and nutrition issues in the Hispanic community. She has established corporate partnerships to help with career placement for those in the program. She was featured as one of the Fifty Under Fifty Innovative Leaders Transforming DC’s Food System. She was invited to participate in a presidential roundtable addressing the challenges and successes of Women Entrepreneurs.
The Commission on the Status of Women works to advance initiatives and policies that empower women, and serves as a community advocate and resource on the social and economic interests of all Arlington women. The commission is an Arlington County Board advisory group and members are appointed by the County Board.