Del. Don Scott (D-88th District), who became the first Black House speaker in the Virginia Legislature’s 400-year history, will deliver the keynote address to nearly 600 graduating students at Norfolk State University’s Commencement Ceremony. The 112th Commencement is scheduled for 9 a.m., Saturday, May 4, 2024, at William “Dick” Price Stadium.
Del. Scott, who began representing the people of Portsmouth in 2020, became Speaker earlier this year. In the legislature, his priorities include strengthening Virginia’s public schools, improving healthcare quality and affordability, and criminal justice reform.
Don Scott spent his early years splitting his time between the city of Houston, Texas, and the small town of Jasper, which gives him a unique perspective and appreciation for both the city and the small town. He is the oldest of six children and was raised by a single mother. Even with few resources, he performed well in school and eventually enrolled in an aerodynamics magnet program at a Houston-area high school. Speaker Scott was accepted to and graduated from Texas A&M University. From there, he enrolled in the Navy’s Officer Candidate School. He proudly served his country as an officer in the United States Navy before earning his law degree from Louisiana State University.
In 2005, he arrived in Portsmouth, Virginia, and went to work for a workforce development company. Speaker Scott quickly climbed the ladder while helping others see in themselves all the potential he saw in them.
In 2015, Speaker Scott started his own law practice before becoming a partner at Breit Biniazan P.C. He now serves his clients as a personal injury attorney and serves his community as an active member of several boards and commissions. He is a member of the Portsmouth Bar Association, the Old Dominion Bar Association, the Virginia State Bar Association, the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. He is also the former Chair of the Portsmouth Economic Development Authority and former President of the Southeastern Employment and Training Association. His community involvement includes memberships in the Eureka Club and lifetime memberships in the NAACP, V.F.W., Post #993 and American Legion Post #190.
Speaker Scott is married to Dr. Mellanda Colson Scott, who practices dentistry in Norfolk. They are the proud parents of a teenage daughter.