WILLIAMSBURG — The City of Williamsburg announced City Council will honor Jeanne Zeidler with the 2025 Williamsburg Mace Bearer’s Award in recognition of her service to the community at the One Williamsburg Holiday Reception Dec. 11.
According to the city, the Williamsburg Mace Bearer’s Award is City Council’s highest honor, presented to individuals or groups who have made a lasting impact on the community. Zeidler is the third recipient of this award.
“Jeanne Zeidler’s lifelong commitment to Williamsburg has left an indelible mark on our city and its people,” said Mayor Douglas G. Pons. “Her leadership, vision, and compassion have inspired generations and strengthened the fabric of our community.”
Zeidler, 78, has held leadership roles on numerous local, regional, and state boards and commissions since the 1980s, the city noted. She began her public service with the Matthew Whaley Elementary School PTA and worked with the PTA Council as an advisory group member. Her advocacy for education led to an appointment on the Williamsburg-James City County School Board in 1990. In 1994, she was elected to the Williamsburg City Council, becoming vice mayor in 1996, and, two years later, became the city’s first female mayor — a position she held until 2010.
In addition to her leadership in local government, the city said Zeidler dedicated her professional career to public service. She spent 21 years as director of the Hampton University Museum, then served three years as director of cultural affairs at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
In 2004, Zeidler was appointed executive director of Jamestown 2007, where she led the state agency responsible for orchestrating 18 months of events celebrating the 400th anniversary of Jamestown’s founding. The city said the commemoration attracted more than 100,000 visitors to Greater Williamsburg in May 2007 alone, including distinguished guests President George W. Bush and Queen Elizabeth II.
From 2010 to 2018, Zeidler served as president and CEO of the Williamsburg Health Foundation, drawing on her decades of nonprofit and public service experience. Under her leadership, the city noted the foundation launched the Child Health Initiative — first as a pilot in Williamsburg and later expanded into James City County. The program, still active today, pairs families with a dedicated Care Team to provide comprehensive support for both children and adults.
Now retired, Zeidler remains deeply involved in the community, serving on five boards: Let Freedom Ring Foundation, Peninsula Agency on Aging, Williamsburg Community Foundation, Williamsburg Landing and Virginia Commemorations Inc.
“Honoring Jeanne with the Williamsburg Mace Bearer’s Award recognizes her extraordinary service, her unwavering dedication, and her positive impact on the Williamsburg community,” Pons said. “Her legacy is a testament to what one individual’s passion and persistence can achieve for the greater good.”
The city highlights that recipients of the Mace Bearer’s Award have made significant contributions to the city beyond what is expected from their employment or professional roles; demonstrated creative leadership that has positively contributed to the cohesion and unity of the city community; and contributed to positive change and added value to the city community.
The city notes the award is named for the Mace of the City, a Colonial-era artifact now housed in the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s museum collections. In the 18th century, maces symbolized the importance of civic events or functions. The Mace of the City of Williamsburg is believed to have been carried in a municipal procession on May 1, 1783, in celebration of the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War.
The One Williamsburg Holiday Reception begins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, at the Stryker Center. The event is open to everyone, and guests can enjoy hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer. New residents will receive invitations by mail. The reception will conclude with a ceremony honoring Zeidler.
