Empowerhouse's Susan Sigmon is an "Unsung Hero"
Award from the Attorney General recognizes individuals who provide exemplary services to survivors of crime.
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
Email Adele
Susan Sigmon, Justice Services director at Empowerhouse, is already a hero to the hundreds of local domestic violence survivors she has accompanied and advocated for on their journey through the court system.
On Tuesday, Virginia’s Attorney General, Jason Miyares, put a statewide spotlight on Sigmon’s 13 years of service by honoring her with the “Unsung Hero” award.
The award, which the Attorney General’s office presents annually, recognizes individuals who provide outstanding service to survivors of crime.
“Unsung Heroes have overcome extraordinary challenges or implemented innovative and effective approaches in support of victims of crime,” according to the award’s webpage. “Such accomplishments may be reflected through consistent exemplary performance or through work above and beyond normal job requirements.”
Sigmon has worked at Empowerhouse, which provides emergency support and advocacy for domestic violence survivors in the Fredericksburg area, since 2012. She works directly with survivors and oversees advocacy services with the courts, law enforcement, and healthcare providers.
Lt. Randall Connelly of the Aquia Harbor Police Department, one of the individuals who nominated Sigmon for the award, said she has been “a beacon of hope and support for countless individuals … What sets Susan apart is not just her professional dedication but her profound empathy and ability to listen. She has a unique way of making survivors feel heard and understood.”
In addition to her work with Empowerhouse, Sigmon is currently a fellow with Leadership Fredericksburg, a program of the regional Chamber of Commerce.
Empowerhouse director Kathy Anderson said now is the perfect time for Sigmon to be recognized “for her many accomplishments that occur most frequently behind the scenes.”
Sigmon was one of 19 Virginians honored with the Unsung Hero award at a ceremony in Richmond on April 8.
Local Obituaries
To view local obituaries or to send a note to family and loved ones, please visit the link that follows.
Support Award-winning, Locally Focused Journalism
The FXBG Advance cuts through the talking points to deliver both incisive and informative news about the issues, people, and organizations that daily affect your life. And we do it in a multi-partisan format that has no equal in this region. Over the past year, our reporting was:
First to break the story of Stafford Board of Supervisors dismissing a citizen library board member for “misconduct,” without informing the citizen or explaining what the person allegedly did wrong.
First to explain falling water levels in the Rappahannock Canal.
First to detail controversial traffic numbers submitted by Stafford staff on the Buc-ee’s project
Our media group also offers the most-extensive election coverage in the region and regular columnists like:
And our newsroom is led by the most-experienced and most-awarded journalists in the region — Adele Uphaus (Managing Editor and multiple VPA award-winner) and Martin Davis (Editor-in-Chief, 2022 Opinion Writer of the Year in Virginia and more than 25 years reporting from around the country and the world).
For just $8 a month, you can help support top-flight journalism that puts people over policies.
Your contributions 100% support our journalists.
Help us as we continue to grow!
This article is published under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND. It can be distributed for noncommercial purposes and must include the following: “Published with permission by FXBG Advance.”