Conway, SC (April 15, 2025) – United Way of Horry County (UWHC) has presented the 2024 Hidden Hero Award to Jessica Piezzo, Community Engagement Manager for the Pee Dee Region from S.C. Department of Public Health. The Hidden Hero Award is given annually to an individual or organization that has gone above and beyond to help UWHC. The Hidden Hero recipient is often not recognized by the public for the work that they complete, but they are dedicated to our mission and diligently work to give back to Horry County.
Jessica Piezzo has been an invaluable asset to Horry County over the past several years. She played a key role in the founding of the Horry County Alliance Collaborative more than a decade ago and was instrumental in maintaining its cohesion over the years. More recently, Jessica has been a driving force behind revitalizing the Alliance, contributing to its evolution into the Horry County Community Collaborative (HC3), serving on the Steering Committee. This now thriving initiative brings together over 70 diverse agencies, including nonprofits, municipalities, hospitals, and government entities. HC3 has seven active working groups dedicated to driving community-level impact and fostering systemic and policy change. With her strong public health background, Jessica brings a level of expertise that is truly invaluable to these efforts.
Jessica also played a crucial role in the United Way of Horry County’s transition from a traditional community chest model to a Collective Impact approach. As part of our task force, she helped distribute a community needs assessment survey and organized vital community conversations. Once the data was collected, Jessica was pivotal in analyzing the results, ultimately helping to shape United Way’s Community Game Plan, which outlines our strategic priorities for the coming years. Since then, she has remained deeply engaged, currently serving as the chair of the Basic Needs Vision Council. In this capacity, she leads the review of applications and recommendations for grant funding to various agencies.
“Jessica’s expertise shines through in every role she undertakes. Above all, she is dedicated to advancing the key issues important to the Department of Public Health, fostering collaboration, and driving systemic and policy changes that will benefit Horry County for years to come”, states, Blakely Roof, President & CEO of UWHC.
More information on the Hidden Hero Award and a list of past winners can be found on our website.
