It’s Official! Delceno Miiles Is Her City’s 73rd First Citizen

NJG NewsWire

VIRGINIA BEACH

On November 15, 2025, Delceno Miles became the 73rd person to be honored with The First Citizen of Virginia Beach Award. Miles, President/CEO of The Miles Agency, a Virginia Beach-based communications and community engagement firm she founded in 1989, takes her place alongside some of the city’s most distinguished citizens who come from an assortment of business, public service and development backgrounds.

Since 1950, the award has been presented by the Virginia Beach Jaycees, an organization committed to service, leadership development, and community impact. The lifetime achievement award recognizes a Virginia Beach citizen who has devoted his or her life to improving, uplifting, and impacting the lives of others. Miles is not absolutely sure, but it is possible this is the first year that an African-American has been selected in the long history of the award.

The list offers a strong representation of entrepreneurial civic leaders – people who both run businesses and invest in the community. And public service is also common – particularly for high-profile figures like the 2024 Citizen, Bob McDonnell, former Virginia Governor.

Miles was recognized for her business acumen and her civic leadership.

Her firm’s clients come from the public and private sectors, to include a number of prominent non-profits and major businesses. The Rivers Casino in Portsmouth and the City of Portsmouth are recent examples of the caliber of clientele she advises.

In the community, she serves on the boards of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce (regional and Virginia Beach Division). In 2002, Miles was appointed as the first African-American and only the third woman chair of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce regional board. She currently serves the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, where she is vice chair. She is past chair of the Hampton Roads Workforce Council.

Miles is a native of Virginia Beach and attended and graduated from Cox High School. She then earned her B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University and her M.A. in Communications from Regent University.

Her awards and honors are diverse to include Inside Business publication with its Women in Business Achievement Award in 2009. The YWCA named her its 2011 Woman of Distinction in Communications and Inside Business named her to its 2011 Power List as one of the top 75 most powerful leaders in Hampton Roads. She was named to the Power List again in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 and emeritus in 2022 – to the present. She was inducted into the 2013 Inaugural Hall of Fame by the Hampton Roads Black Media Professionals.

The 2025 awards ceremony held at the Virginia Beach Convention Center departed from its usual Black tie activity to a relaxed sports-themed event. Attendees wore their favorite jersey and arrived ready for games, dancing, celebration, and community spirit. Two other special honorees were W. Taylor Franklin, Rise Award and William “Billy” Almond, Creed Award.