(Posted 2026 May)
Jennifer Madison’s can-do attitude and dedication have earned her a lot of respect among staff in the Department of Family Services. As an administrative assistant with the Reston Foster Care Unit, she supports the program’s mission to serve vulnerable children and families with excellence. Jennifer’s willingness to go above and beyond helps ensure systems run smoothly so frontline staff can focus on providing care and support.
Everetta Lewis, a colleague in Finance, first called attention to the “tremendous quality and quantity” of Jennifer’s work and set in motion her nomination and selection as one of this year’s recipients of the Sharon Bulova Award for Exemplary Administrative Professionals.
Jennifer joined DFS four years ago, and she feels that she has experienced both personal and professional growth in that time. Situated within the department’s Children, Youth and Families Division, Foster Care and Adoption provides ample opportunities for Jennifer to demonstrate an exceptional level of professionalism, adaptability, and work ethic. Her favorite part of her role is “the ability to create efficient, streamlined processes.” She has a strong sense of purpose that comes from knowing that she helps staff operate more effectively to support better outcomes for children and families.
Jennifer was nominated by her task supervisor, Jessica Johnson, who highlighted Jennifer’s key role in launching and managing the transportation payment process in a new electronic invoice system (IMS) while maintaining excellence in her core administrative duties:
“Jennifer’s work with IMS is a clear example of her willingness to embrace new technologies, untested processes, and responsibilities well beyond the traditional scope of her position. What began as a pilot with no defined administrative role evolved into a complex function for transportation invoice processing that Jennifer not only took on, but mastered. She stepped into an unproven process, learned it thoroughly, built strong relationships with key stakeholders, and then gave back by teaching others.”
The Sharon Bulova Award recognizes proven leadership, initiative, and excellence among administrative assistants across Fairfax County Government agencies. Jennifer’s work is a strong example of how behind-the-scenes excellence can make a real difference for children and families.
Jennifer shared that she was surprised, humbled, and honored by the recognition, “Being part of a team that is dedicated to serving families keeps me grounded in the “why” behind what we do, and that continues to drive my initiative every day.”
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