LIMA — Local leader Jackie Fox passed away over the weekend. Fox was the chief executive officer of the West Ohio Community Action Partnership agency in Lima and served the organization for more than two decades.
Phyllis Montrose, child development services director at WOCAP, and Community Services Director Kim Bruns will now assume leadership positions with the agency.
Bruns said Fox has been a part of WOCAP for 28 years after beginning her time there as a headstart mom. Fox elected to pursue her degree and became an employee of the company.
“She became a headstart staff and then furthered her education and became a headstart director,” Bruns said. “Then ultimately became our chief executive officer. She’s been a huge force in community action in our communities of Allen, Auglaize and Mercer counties as well from the state to national level. We’re getting just tons of emails from different organizations she has worked with. Her impact has just been huge.”
The legacy Fox left the community was one of her leadership. Mayor Sharetta Smith said Fox advocated ‘tirelessly’ for the poor and carried the passion for education, tenant protection and assisting those in need.
“With Jackie’s passing, our community has suffered a great loss,” Smith said in a prepared statement. “We will never be able to fully express our gratitude for her service, as there are countless projects and initiatives that could not have happened without her leadership and support. We remain grateful to her family for sharing her with us. We will support them during this time of loss. Jackie made a difference in the lives of hundreds of Lima residents over the years, and her advocacy will leave an unwavering legacy in this community.”
Bruns said Fox will be missed and her legacy will have a lasting impact both locally and nationally.
“Her passion for community action and the people we serve, I’ve never seen before,” Bruns said. “She was just an exceptional human being. It’s a huge loss for our agency, but it’s also a huge loss for our clients — community action is helping people and saving lives. She was the embodiment of that.”
Reach Precious Grundy at 567-242-0351.
