Virginia Capitol Connections Winter 2022

Virginia Capitol Connections, Winter 2022 5 My story doesn’t start in Virginia Beach, Virginia, but in Havana, Cuba when a scared 19-year-old girl got on an airplane, penniless and homeless, with no idea where her next meal would come from. That was my mother, Miriam Miyares. My mother raised my brothers and me with a deep love and respect for democracy and the country that gave our family a second chance. Nearly 56 years to the day that she fled communist Cuba, my mother was able to vote for me to be the first Hispanic elected statewide in the Commonwealth of Virginia and to be the first son of an immigrant Attorney General. That’s what I like to call the American Miracle, and it’s proof that we are still the “Last Best Hope on Earth.” It will be the biggest honor of my life to serve as your Attorney General. I look forward on day one to ending the criminal first, VCCQM welcomes our Attorney General Elect, Jason S. Miyares. A brief biography is included here. In future issues we will feature other statewide office holders. JASON S. MIYARES victim last mentality in Richmond and making sure that Virginia is the best place to live, work and raise a family. V Preparing for the 2022 Inauguration Jason Miyares’ story is a dramatic one. His mother, Miriam Maria Miyares, fled Cuba in 1965, with almost no possessions. As a legal immigrant, her goal was to raise her family in a land of freedom and democracy. She impressed these values upon her three sons. The family lived in Virginia Beach, and Jason Miyares attended public schools. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from James Madison University, and then graduating from the College ofWilliam & Mary School of Law, where he served on the Honor Council. He performed well in school, working his way up to become Assistant Commonwealth Attorney for the City of Virginia Beach. In the fall of 2015, Miyares won the race for the 82nd District of the House of Delegates. The election made history in that he was the first Cuban-American elected to the General Assembly. When he takes the oath to become Attorney General, he will be the firstVirginia Attorney General in 225 years to be the child of an immigrant. Miyares is firm in his stand as a conservative, fighting for fiscal discipline and government transparency. As a delegate, he served on three committees: General Laws, Courts of Justice, and Transportation. Miyares has received a number of prestigious awards and held offices, including: • “Champion of Free Enterprise,” by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce • Past President of Cape Henry Rotary, where he was a Paul Harris Fellow • Past Chairman of the Hampton Roads Young Republicans • Founding Member of the Hampton Roads Federalist Society • Member of the Virginia Beach Bar Association • Member of Galilee Episcopal Church • Service on the Virginia Board of Veterans Services • Chairman of the Commission on Equal Opportunity for Virginians in Aspiring & Diverse Communities • 2018, 2019 “Legislator of the Year,” by the College of Affordability and Public Trust • 2018, “Legislator of the Year,” by Hampton Roads Military Officers Association • 2019 “Action Award,” by the Safe House Project Miyares is married to Page Atkinson Miyares, who works in real estate. They have three children. Admiration for Reagan, Freedom motivate Attorney General Elect QM STAFF REPORT V

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