Zakia McKensey is a native of Richmond, Virginia. She has been an active member of the LGBTQ community. For many years Zakia was a national performer and pageant competitor. She is a former Miss Gay Black America, Miss Black National, Miss International Supermodel, Miss Virginia Capitol Pride and the current reigning Miss Sweetheart Internationl at Large. She has worked for Fan Free Clinic where she was instrumental in creating the Transgender Clinic as well as Richmond City Health District, where she was a DIsease Intervention Specialist and also the 1st African American Transgender Women to ever work for the health distirct. October of 2015 she opened the Nationz Foundation a 501©3 organization that provides advocacy for transgender individuals as well as offering HIV/STI testing, Food Pantry, PrEP Clinic, Emergency Housing and other supportive services to the Greater Richmond Metropolitan Area. She was named a 2018 Outstanding Virginian, by Equality Virginia. Zakia was honored with a Firework Award by Virginia Pride in 2018. Zakia was recently appointed as a Commissioner for the City of Richmond and is the 1st Black Trrsnswoman to be appointed in the City of Richmond. In her free time she enjoys time with family and friends, traveling, competing and attending pageants, cooking and spending time with her furbaby Japan.