2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 265
Celebrating the life of Jada Mairin Samitt.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 10, 2026
Agreed to by the Senate, March 12, 2026
WHEREAS, Jada Mairin Samitt, a beloved member of the Richmond community and an advocate for environmental conservation who was working as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fishery observer, died on January 30, 2026; and
WHEREAS, Jada Samitt grew up in Richmond, but from a young age cultivated strong ties to the Cape Ann peninsula in Massachusetts, where her mother's family had deep roots; and
WHEREAS, Jada Samitt graduated from Deep Run High School in Glen Allen, then continued her education at the University of Vermont's Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, where she majored in natural resources with a concentration in ecology; and
WHEREAS, after graduation, Jada Samitt was hired by A.I.S., Inc., in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fishery observer, in which capacity she collected ecological data and recorded violations of fishing regulations; and
WHEREAS, in the course of her duties as a fishery observer, Jada Samitt served aboard the Lily Jean , a fishing vessel out of Gloucester, Massachusetts, where she was respected as a hardworking member of the crew; and