Hillary Press, of Springfield, passed away Nov. 15. She was 51. Hillary graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1993 with a degree in social work and then a master’s degree in 1998. She obtained a master’s degree in education in counseling and development in 2008 from George Mason University.
Hillary’s leadership roles included president of the Virginia Counselors Association (VCA), Southern Region chair of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and Southern Region representative of the ACA Governing Council. Hillary was awarded the 2012-2013 Fairfax County Public Schools Elementary Counselor of the Year Award and the 2013 Virginia Counselors Association Counselor of the Year Award. Her legislative advocacy included serving on the Lieutenant Governor’s Commonwealth Council for Childhood Success, which focused on the Virginia HJ486 Mental Health Screening in Elementary Schools Survey Team (2015-17). In January 2014, she received a Commending Resolution from the Virginia legislature that honored her efforts on behalf of low income students and families.
She is survived by her husband, Michael Press; her parents, Michael and Nancy Dick; and her children, Elissa, Tabitha and Rory.
