Felecia L. Edwards

Felecia L. Edwards was born in Richmond, Virginia. She was educated in the Commonwealth of Virginia and attended both City of Richmond and other institutions of higher learning; she is the youngest of 7 children and began her 20 year fire & emergency service career with the Fairfax City, Virginia Fire & Rescue Department (1984).She created a new workforce paradigm there by becoming the the first female fire fighter. She later was recruited and took advantage of the opportunity to become a member of the prestigious Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department in Fairfax County, Virginia. After 20 years of supporting the nation’s fire and emergency service. She has served as the women’s recruitment outreach adjunct providing tutorial and guidance to those persons going thru the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department selection process. Felecia was a EEO Counselor and serves as a Alternative Dispute Resolution Mediator. She excelled thru the ranks from Sergeant to Captain II and now serves as the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer for Virginia’s Largest Fire & Rescue Department. In this capacity she provides oversight and coordination for the entire department‘s employment practices entry to retirement and enforces all Equal Employment Opportunity laws, regulations, practices and policies.

Felecia has served on many committees and boards. Currently she chair’s the Fairfax County National Marrow Donor Program and coordinates its multiple drives . She serves as the State of Virginia’s Black Women in the Fire Service Representive for the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters, in State of Virginia, the Equity Conference Committee and the Fairfax County Diversity Planning Committee (Office of Equity Programs). She has received a number of honors;

• PIONEER WOMEN OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, 1995- Presented by Fairfax County Commission for Women
• DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT JROTC, 1997
• FIRE DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE FAIRFAX COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, 2002
• RECOGNITION OF COUNTY WIDE CULTURAL DIVERSITY MONTH 2002, 2003, 2004
• RESPECT V. HARASSMENT APPRECIATION AWARD, 2003

Felecia is passionate about encouraging women to aim for there goals and achieving them to the next level, breaking the glass ceiling and removing of barriers in all aspects of one’s life’s goals, She is mother, wife, mentor and friend to the nation’s fire and emergency services.