2026 SPECIAL SESSION I

ENROLLED

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2150

Commending Myra Goodman Smith.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, June 22, 2026

WHEREAS, over the course of her distinguished tenure as president and chief executive officer of Leadership Metro Richmond from 2010 to 2025, Myra Goodman Smith advanced public service in Richmond and throughout the Commonwealth by contributing to the development of other community leaders and strengthening regional partnerships; and

WHEREAS, a native of Richmond, Myra Smith began to cultivate her passion for community service at a young age as a candy striper at what was then the Medical College of Virginia; as the only Black volunteer at the time, she was assigned to the A.D. Williams Clinic for low-income patients, and her experiences there influenced her commitment to empowering those in greatest need; and

WHEREAS, a graduate of Richmond Public Schools, Myra Smith became one of the Richmond City Council's youngest commissioners during her senior year of high school and continued to serve the city during her college years; she earned a bachelor's degree in urban studies and a master of public administration degree from Virginia Commonwealth University; and

WHEREAS, after completing her education, Myra Smith pursued a career in community service and worked as vice president of the United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg for more than two decades, leading initiatives in research, planning, grant making, program development, fundraising, governance, and operations; and

WHEREAS, Myra Smith subsequently became president and chief executive officer of Leadership Metro Richmond, where she has prepared hundreds of diverse leaders to better serve and engage with their communities; and

WHEREAS, through Leadership Metro Richmond, Myra Smith fostered strategic partnerships across the region to facilitate meaningful connections, create opportunities for community advancement, and promote social equity; and

WHEREAS, Myra Smith has provided her wise insights to several local, state, and national boards and serves as chair of the Jenkins Foundation, a $60 million legacy foundation that promotes equitable access to primary health care, mental health services, and substance abuse-related care in Richmond; and

WHEREAS, among many awards and accolades over the course of her career, Myra Smith has received the 2025 Leadership Lifetime Legacy Award from the Association of Leadership Programs, the 2025 Virginia Black Business Leaders Award from Virginia Business magazine, the 2021 Bold Women Changing Richmond award from Richmond magazine, the 2020 Outstanding Woman Award for Nonprofit Leadership from the YWCA of Greater Richmond, and the 2019 Living Legacy Award from the Richmond Public Schools Foundation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Myra Goodman Smith hereby be commended for her legacy of service as president and chief executive officer of Leadership Metro Richmond; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Myra Goodman Smith as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for her service to the Richmond community and the Commonwealth as a whole.