President Pro Tempore, Commonwealth of Virginia Senate, 2020-present

Senator, Commonwealth of Virginia Senate, District 18, 1992-present

Member, Virginia General Assembly, 1991-present

Member, Governor’s Commission on Information Technology, present

Candidate, Commonwealth of Virginia Senate, District 18, 2023

Member, Federal Action Contingency Trust Fund, 2012

Candidate, United States House of Representatives, District 4, 2001

Member, Portsmouth City Council, 1984

Member, Block Grants

Member, Commerce and Labor Committee

Member, Commission on Electric Utility Regulation

Member, Commission on Virginia State Crime

Chair, Education and Health Committee

Member, Finance and Appropriations Committee

Member, Governor's Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates

Member, Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission

Member, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Board of Trustees

Member, Joint Rules Committee

Member, Judiciary Committee

Member, Roanoke River Basin Advisory Committee, Virginia

Member, Rules Committee

Member, Southern Virginia Higher Education Center Board of Trustees

Chair, Subcommittee on Certificate of Public Need

Member, Subcommittee on Civil Law

Member, Subcommittee on Claims

Member, Subcommittee on Energy

Member, Subcommittee on General Government

Member, Subcommittee on K-12 Education

Member, Subcommittee on Local Government Fiscal Stress

Chair, Subcommittee on Public Safety

Member, Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission

Member, Virginia Delegation of the Roanoke River Bi-State Commission

Member, Governor’s Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring, present

Member, Governor’s Commission on State Funding for Public School Construction, present

Member, Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commissio, present

Member, National Woman's Political Caucus, present

Member, Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, present

Former Chair, Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship Committee, Virginia State Senate

Former Member, Cannabis Oversight Commission, Commonwealth of Virginia House of Delegates

Former Member, Commission on Federal Action Contingency Trust (FACT) Fund Approval, Virginia State Senate

Former Member, Commission on Health Care, Virginia House of Delegates

Former Member, Courts of Justice Committee, Commonwealth of Virginia Senate

Former Member, Finance Committee, Commonwealth of Virginia Senate

Former Member, Subcommittee General Government and Technology, Commonwealth of Virginia Senate

Former Member, Subcommittee on Capital Outlay and General Government, Commonwealth of Virginia Senate

Former Member, Subcommittee on Health Professions, Commonwealth of Virginia Senate

Member, Medicaid Innovation and Reform Commission, 2013

Member, Commission on Electric Utility Regulation, 2010

President/Chief Executive Officer, The Lucas Professional Center, present

Assistant Professor, Department of Academic Affairs/Special Assistant, Norfolk State University, 1994-1998

Interim Executive/Executive Director, Southeastern Tidewater Opportunity Project (STOP), 1985-1992

Shipfitter, Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), 1967-1971

Member, African Methodist Episcopal Church, present

Golden Life Member, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, present

Vice-Chair of Outreach, Democratic Party of Virginia, present

Charter Member, Martin Luther King Leadership Steering Committee, present

Member, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), present

Member, National Council of Christians and Jews, Tidewater Chapter, present

Member, National Political Congress of Black Women, present

Deaconess, New Mount Olivet Baptist Church, present

Board Member At-Large, The Torch Club of Portsmouth, present

Board Member, Virginia Association of Black Elected Officials, present

Congressional Liaison, Old Dominion University, 1992-1994

Number of Grandchildren:

5 Grandchildren; 3 Great-Grandchildren