A chance meeting led Jennifer (Jen) Armstrong to be chosen as the Labor candidate for Miranda at the next state election.
Opposition Luke Foley revealed this at the official announcement on Friday.
Ms Armstrong was recognised as 2016 NSW Woman of the Year in recognition of her work, through the Beauty Bank charity she started, for victims of domestic violence in Sutherland Shire.
She will take on sitting Liberal member Eleni Petinos, who won the seat comfortably in 2015.
Mr Foley said he met Ms Armstrong six months ago at a business awards night organised by Western Sydney University, where she works.
“We got chatting that night about Beauty Bank and arranged to catch up for longer chat about domestic violence issues,” he said.
“As part of chatting about policy she expressed an interest in politics.
“She joined the Labor Party and I encouraged her to think about putting herself forward [as a candidate] because I think she is a very well respected person in the community.
“Miranda is a challenging seat, but I am proud to have her on my team.
“I think she has the right values and clearly contributes to the community through the Beauty Bank and a host of other activities.”
Mr Foley said Ms Armstrong was “the choice” of ALP branch members, and they were “very excited she is putting her hand up”.
“We are preselecting her early, 10 months from the election, which gives her time to campaign through the community,” he said.
“She will be talking about our priorities and those of the Liberals.
“People will have a clear choice.”
Mr Foley said the Liberal Party enjoyed a 10 per cent margin “but Barry (Collier) showed Labor can win Miranda and we are going to put our best foot forward.”
Ms Armstrong said she had thought about the possibility of seeking election to Parliament for a long time.
“I have lived in the shire my entire life and raised young children,” she said.
“The shire has been very generous to be and I see what an amazing community it is, and I want to do everything I can to repay that.”
The setting for the announcement was Cafe Thyme, in Railway Crescent, a newly opened social enterprise business established by community organisation Orana.
All profits from the cafe go to Orana projects, which include funding for a domestic violence case worker for shire women leaving abusive relationships.
Ms Armstrong, a Grays Point resident, came to prominence when she started the Beauty Bank, a charity that distributes toiletries and basic beauty products to victims of domestic violence.
She began the work after her own experience in a relationship breakdown when a thoughtful person gave her a small gift of body wash.
Since then, the charity has grown into a major operation, which has distributed many thousands of gift packs containing what Ms Armstrong calls “life’s little luxuries”.
Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Women Pru Goward presented her with the 2016 Premier’s Woman of the Year Award`
Cronulla MP Mark Speakman, who chose Ms Armstrong as the Cronulla Woman of the Year in 2016, said at the time she was “an inspiration”.
Last year, Ms Armstrong was appointed to a high-powered group that will look at how businesses can work with the community and government to combat domestic violence.
