Meet Victor McKenzie
A Leader in Putting People First
Victor “Vic” McKenzie, Jr. is a nonprofit executive and community leader. He serves as Executive Director of a statewide organization, leading advocacy and education for individuals and families affected by substance use disorder. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of a community action organization that serves Petersburg, Prince George County, Dinwiddie County, Hopewell and Richmond.
With an extensive record of advocacy and nonprofit leadership, Victor maintains considerable business connections across the district. A consensus builder, Victor has worked with policymakers on both sides of the aisle to build successful coalitions. His experience will help serve the families of the 82nd District.
Victor has received several recognitions for his work including:
Appointment by Governor Ralph Northam to the Virginia’s Opioid Abatement Authority, then elected as secretary
Named one of the Community Foundation of Greater Richmond’s Emerging Leaders in Nonprofits
Leadership Metro Richmond Class of 2022
Style Weekly’s 2022 Top 40 under 40
UVA’ Sorensen Institute Political Leaders Program ‘22
5th Ward Chair of Petersburg Democratic Committee
Secretary of the Governors’s Substance Abuse Service Council
Member of the Medicaid Medical Care Advisory Committee
After attending Old Dominion University with a focus on International Studies he received his Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate from Georgetown University and Nonprofit Fund Development Certificate from University of Richmond.
Victor lives in Old Towne Petersburg with his wife, Dominique, daughter Lily Rae, and two dogs. He is committed to uplifting underserved and underinvested communities and making a real difference for all of us.
Victor has dedicated his life’s work to making a difference and helping people. As a nonprofit executive, he understands people’s needs and solutions that can actually work.
His priorities include →
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Victor believes that everyone must have access to affordable, quality healthcare, including for mental health and prescription medications. No one should have to travel hundreds of miles to get needed medical care.
• Preventive care, maternity and obstetric care must be available to everyone. The mortality rate for both moms and babies before and right after birth is inexcusably high, particularly for Black women and babies.
• We must make insulin, a lifesaving drug affordable for everyone who needs it.
• Women must be able to make their own healthcare decisions, in consultation with their medical provider.
• No one should ever have to refuse a prescription because they can’t afford it.
• Substance Use and Mental Health care is essential and must be accessible and affordable.
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Every child, no matter their zip code must have access to a quality public education, preparing them for higher ED or a good paying job.
• We need universal pre-k, so all children come to school ready to learn.
• College must be affordable, no one should leave school drowning in debt.
• We need to support our community college system here in Virginia, it prepares so many Virginians for better jobs.
• We need more support for workforce training and apprenticeship programs so that students can get good paying jobs and fulfilling careers.
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Right now, too many Virginians are struggling with inflation, the escalated prices of food and other essentials and the ever-increasing cost of gasoline.
• We need to take whatever steps we can to bring down prices and to ensure Virginians can survive and thrive.
• In communities in the 82nd , we need to be recruiting good employers so that residents can find jobs and the companies can contribute to our economy.
• I will be out every day as the number one cheerleader for the 82nd explaining to prospective employers why our community will be a great place for their business.
• We need to make sure that when we bring employers here, they are bringing good paying jobs with good benefits, such as healthcare, so that their presence the community uplifts all of us.
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Our communities must be safe. Rising crime rates hurt all of us.
• We need community policing where the police and the neighbors know each other so our streets are safe.
• Good policing requires mental health professionals, social workers and others with expertise to ensure the best qualified professional responds to an incident.
• No matter the color of a person’s skin or their zip code, they deserve to be safe in their community and treated fairly and respectfully by law enforcement.
• We need to take illegal guns off the streets and take them away from violent criminals and those with serious mental health issues.
• We need to ensure our children are safe from gun violence. No one should fear walking to school, going to church, or playing outside.
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Decent, clean and safe shelter should be a right, not a privilege for those who can afford it.
• We need more affordable housing.
• We need to make sure that those public servants who serve our community, such as teachers, police and fire, EMTs, nurses, and medical aides can afford to live in our community.
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Climate change is the crisis of our generation. If we want our children and grandchildren to have a livable earth, we must address climate change now.
• We need to move to renewable energy sources but it must be done in an affordable, fair way.
• Investing in renewable energy will create good paying green jobs and we need to provide training to those who are looking to move for fossil fuel jobs to renewables.
• As climate change accelerates, more frequent and more severe weather events will occur. We need to harden our infrastructure, so our communities are safe, and folks are not endangered, or homes and communities destroyed because of these storms.
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Many families are struggling to just make ends meet. They deserve leaders who will make their lives easier, not create more hardship.
• We need to establish a statewide paid family and medical leave program to ensure working people can take up to 12 paid weeks per year away to care for themselves, a loved one, or a newly welcomed child.
• We need to support the Virginia Promise Partnership and ensure that all families have access to quality childcare— not just those who can afford to pay sky-high prices.
