When
Jean Cunningham returned to Virginia more than 20 years ago after living in
other parts of the country, she took the legal and political communities by
storm. As a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1986 until she retired
in 1997, Ms. Cunningham was a passionate and effective advocate for the needs
of Virginia families.
As an elected official, the Hampton,
Virginia native helped to create laws and policies to help guide Virginia into
a century of peace and prosperity. Ms. Cunningham is perhaps best known for
her advocacy of gun control legislation and public education. In addition, over
the years, she served as a chief patron on adoption, domestic violence and patient
privacy legislation.
A graduate of Virginia State
University (VSU) and Howard University School of Law, Ms. Cunningham has been
a trailblazer and precedent-setting leader of great accomplishment, basing her
life’s work in public service. She is currently the human resources director
for the Construction/Distribution Global Business Unit of Reynolds Metals in
Richmond.
"Set a new standard
and make major contributions to your communities."
Ms. Cunningham has served on
the boards of numerous organizations, including VSU’s Board of Visitors and
the Virginia State Social Services Board, to which she was appointed by former
Virginia Governor Chuck Robb. Currently, she serves on the board of the Virginia
Interfaith Center for Public Policy and is a member of the Links and Delta Sigma
Theta Sorority, Inc., public-service organizations.
Ms. Cunningham’s accomplishments
are especially significant, because with the loss of her husband in 1984, she
overcame personal tragedy to singlehandedly raise three children and make her
mark in the Virginia legislature and in life.
In honor of her strong leadership
and advocacy, Ms. Cunningham has received several awards, including the YWCA
Outstanding Woman of the Year Award in Law, the 1998 Lifetime Achievement Award
from the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus and the Advocate of the Year Award
from the Virginians Against Handgun Violence.
Ms. Cunningham has helped change
the course of Virginia history and, in doing so, has also set a new standard
for African-American women throughout the state of Virginia. She urges today’s
youth to set a new standard and make major contributions to their communities.
