Virginia NAACP Concludes NAACP: Never Silenced the 88th Annual Convention and Announces Newly Elected and Re-Elected Officers

Over 200 delegates from branches, youth councils, and college chapters across the Commonwealth attended the 88^th Annual Convention Virginia State Conference NAACP (Virginia NAACP) on Saturday, November 11, 2023, at the Omni Richmond Hotel. The theme, NAACP: Never Silenced, focused on the advocacy of the past year and the year to come.

The highlight of the convention was the seven-minute speech given by the House of Delegates Speaker-Designee, the Honorable Don Scott. Speaker-designee Scott was greeted with a standing ovation and round of applause for this accomplishment and historic election.

During the 88^th Annual Convention of the Virginia State Conference (Virginia NAACP), the delegates elected and re-elected officers pursuant to our constitution and bylaws.

Rev. Cozy Bailey is the newly elected president of the Virginia NAACP. Rev. Bailey previously served as the Region 3 Vice President and is the president of the Prince Wiliam Branch. Rev. Bailey is a native of St. Louis, MO.  He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps upon his graduation with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. He is also an associate minister at First Mount Zion Baptist Church in Dumfries, Virginia, member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated.

Re-elected officers include Mark Lomax (Newport News Branch), Vice President; Warren Williams (Fredericksburg Branch), Treasurer; and Sylvia C. Wood (Richmond Branch), Assistant Treasurer. Also re-elected were James E. Ghee (Prince Edward Branch), Region 6 Vice President; Rev. Michael Turner (Staunton Branch), Region 7 Vice President; and Jane Cabarrus (Northampton Branch), Member at Large. Lewis Johnson (Albemarle-Charlottesville Branch) and Carmen Taylor (Hampton Branch) are newly elected Members at Large.

Ty’Leik Chambers is the newly elected president of the Youth and College Division. Mr. Chambers previously served as the Youth and College secretary and member at large on the Executive Committee. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and served as president of the UVA Chapter from 2021 – 2022. Mr. Chambers is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.

The Youth and College Division also elected Chloe Edwards (UVA Chapter), secretary and re-elected Monique Randolph (Richmond Branch), youth advisor.

During the one-day convening, Dr. Roscoe Cooper, pastor of Rising Mount Zion Baptist Church, served as the guest speaker during the Lift Ev’ry Voice breakfast. Antoine Banks, Director of Government Affairs with Comcast, a sponsor of the Convention, was in attendance and greeted the delegates.

Jay Jones, Hogans Lovell, and Ryan Snow, Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights, presented an overview of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the Governor’s Office and Department of Elections over the past year. This presentation included the recent lawsuit victory of the FOIA request on the Governor’s restoration process.

Resolutions were presented to the body for approval on varying subject areas which will inform the policy plans of the Virginia NAACP. The delegates approved the 2024 Legislative Agenda. The 2024 Legislative Agenda will focus on the areas of Education; Environmental and Climate Justice; Healthcare; Housing; Race and Justice; workforce, Labor and Economic Empowerment; and Voting Rights and Political Representation.

On Sunday, Officers were installed during a virtual ceremony, solidifying their commitment to advancing the mission of the NAACP and fighting for communities across the Commonwealth of Virginia

To learn more about the Virginia NAACP or to become a member of a local branch, youth council, or college chapter, visit www.naacpva.org.