FBI Washington Field Office Announces Director’s Community Leadership Award Presented to Symeon Rom-Rymer
The FBI’s Washington Field Office (WFO) is pleased to announce Symeon Rom-Rymer as a recipient of the 2017 Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA). Ms. Rom-Rymer, an advocate for uniting members of different faiths, was selected for having demonstrated outstanding contributions to her community through service.
The Director’s Community Leadership Award was formally created in 1990 as a way to honor individuals and organizations for their efforts on combating crime, terrorism, drugs, and violence in America. Recipients of this award are nominated by each of the FBI’s 56 field offices and are recognized for their service above and beyond the call of duty to help keep America and its residents safe.
Washington Interfaith Response and Outreach Coalition (WIROC) is a grassroots initiative formed through Ms. Rom-Rymer’s efforts as the lead organizer for the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington (IFC).
WIROC is an organization striving to bring 11 cross-theological communities together to promote dialogue, understanding, and a sense of unity.
Ms. Rom-Rymer has displayed strong community leadership skills through her demonstrations of solidarity by and for individuals and assemblies targeted through vandalism, hateful speech, and other types of emotional and physical acts of intolerance. She established protocol for WIROC members to follow to ensure appropriate steps were taken following a hate incident.
Director Christopher Wray with Symeon Rom-Rymer. Select image for related material, including story and photos.
Under Ms. Rom-Rymer, WIROC has served as a cooperative arena to facilitate conversation between local and federal law enforcement along with communities of faith.
Ms. Rom-Rymer is an experienced freelance journalist raising awareness about issues impacting minority communities in the United States and Europe. She is a motivated, driven, and dedicated community member striving to strengthen and unite communities of faith and their partnerships with law enforcement agencies.
On April 20, 2018, Ms. Rom-Rymer attended a ceremony at FBI Headquarters where she, along with recipients from across the country, was presented with the award by FBI Director Christopher Wray.
These leaders, selected by their area FBI field office, have demonstrated outstanding contributions to their local communities through service.
