In an effort to combat child sexual abuse, Jen “Elizabeth” Peace is using her title as Mrs. Arlington to teach educators, parents and those with access to children how to recognize and prevent child sexual abuse. In her role as Mrs. Arlington, Peace is raising awareness and teaching a nationally recognized program that addresses child sexual abuse. Over the last several years, she has provided this class to parents, legislators, educators and community members tasked with keeping children safe.
In 2013, Peace started The Pledge campaign in her former hometown of Idaho Falls, Idaho, where then-Mayor Jared Fuhriman joined Sheriff Paul Wilde and then-prosecuting attorney Bruce Pickett in signing The Pledge to end child sexual abuse.
As part of The Pledge, Pickett also agreed to hold the training for all employees and their spouses to prevent child sexual abuse. The training, known as the Darkness to Light Stewards of Children Child Sexual Abuse Prevention training, was taught by Peace — a trained facilitator for the national program.
A resident of Arlington, and as a Mrs. Virginia delegate, Peace is working with the Darkness 2 Light Stewards of Children program to train all public officials, law makers, health care officials and others who are entrusted in making life-lasting decisions for children who have been sexually abused. Peace will compete for the title of Mrs. Virginia April 22-23 in Spring Hill, Va. The Mrs. America organization is the official state final to Mrs. America, a program that celebrates America’s married women and their accomplishments.
Peace is a former TV news anchor who now works as a communications director on Capitol Hill. She is an author, fitness coach, and motivational speaker for teens. She is married to a U.S. Marine, and together they have two children. Peace currently teaches on-camera classes at the Leadership Institute in her spare time and annually volunteers as a judge for the Society of Professional Journalist’s Mark of Excellence Awards.