NORFOLK, Va., Nov. 30, 2023 – Jennifer Ann Saunders Pfitzner is a certified public accountant who encourages her clients to be charitable. She also is a dedicated volunteer committed to strengthening the community where she grew up.

Pfitzner, a partner with Saunders, Matthews & Pfitzner, PLLC in Norfolk, is this year’s recipient of the Barron F. Black Community Builder Award by the Hampton Roads Community Foundation. Named after an attorney who founded Vandeventer Black LLP and was the community foundation’s first board chair, the award is presented annually to an outstanding community-minded professional advisor.

Pfitzner is president of the Wards Corner Lions Club, treasurer of ForKids and The Maury Foundation, and a member of the boards of Randolph-Macon College Yellow Jacket Club and Cedar Point Ladies Golf Association, among her many civic activities. She provides volunteer accounting services to ForKids and previously has done so for a number of other nonprofits.

“Jennifer Pfitzner’s dedication to community building and advancing philanthropy in the region have made a profound impact on Hampton Roads,” said Foundation President and CEO Deborah M. DiCroce. “Her passion aligns perfectly with the values that the Barron F. Black Community Builder Award represents. We are delighted to honor her with this well-deserved recognition.”

Pfitzner, the 17th recipient of the award, was celebrated at a Nov. 28 reception at Town Point Club in Norfolk. At the event, a $5,000 grant from the community foundation was presented to a charity selected by Pfitzner, The Elizabeth River Project.

Pfitzner earned her master’s of business administration in taxation from Virginia Commonwealth University and her bachelor’s degree in business/economics and accounting with a minor in English literature from Randolph-Macon College.

As a professional, Pfitzner discusses charitable giving with clients and encourages people to get involved in activities to give back to the Hampton Roads region.

Philanthropy is important to her, she said, because of her upbringing. “It’s just how I was raised,” she said, recalling volunteering with the Lions Club and other organizations at a young age.

Pfitzner said she believes that everyone can find a way to be a philanthropist to improve and strengthen the community. “We have so many things right here in our area that everybody can get involved in something they’re interested in,” she said.

One of her pet peeves is people saying they don’t have time to do something.

“When somebody says ‘I don’t have time,’ what they’re really saying is, ‘That’s not important enough for me to make time,’” Pfitzner said. “You make time for what’s important.”

About the Hampton Roads Community Foundation:

With roots dating back to 1950, The Hampton Roads Community Foundation is a permanent charitable endowment with nearly $500 million in assets. It has awarded over $344 million in grants and scholarships since its founding. The Foundation brings the community together to address important concerns and advance racial equity. It also plays a critical role in community leadership, tackling such regional issues as early childcare and education, homelessness and affordable housing, climate change and disaster responsiveness, and regional economic competitiveness. The Foundation’s mission is to make life better in Hampton Roads through grantmaking, philanthropy and civic engagement. Its vision is a thriving community with opportunity for all.

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