FairField Center’s Acting Executive Director Nancy Munoz is well-known throughout the Harrisonburg community for her leadership in the Spanish-speaking community as an organizer of the International Women’s Day March and the Harrisonburg International Festival. But recent accomplishments set her apart as an inspiration not only to women of color, but to anyone seeking to truly make a difference in their community.
Nancy’s passion for community advocacy started as an intern for NewBridges Immigrant Resource Center, where she worked with the immigrant community to access beneficial local resources. She earned her associate degree from Blue Ridge Community College and went on to become a certified mediator and Spanish-English interpreter for the FairField Center’s Mediation Services Division.
In 2020, Nancy entered the bachelor’s degree in social work program at James Madison University. While completing her degree and field practicum with Healthy Families of the Blue Ridge, Nancy continued her work at FairField Center, becoming Assistant Director in 2021. She graduated from JMU in May 2022. During this same period, she and her husband Juarez also welcomed two new children to the world! Nancy says that being the first college graduate in her family, as well as wanting to inspire other women of color to aspire to leadership roles helped her stay the course during the difficulties of completing school, continuing to work, and having children, all during the added challenges presented by COVID.
We look forward to the next chapter in Nancy’s motivating story!