Born as the 11th of 13 children to Mayrose and James Blyden, Sr., Senator Marvin A. Blyden is a native of the Virgin Islands and a proud son of the Nadir community. His formative years in the Virgin Islands public school system laid the foundation for a life of service and leadership. A graduate of Dickinson Business School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Senator Blyden further honed his skills at the Robert J. Thompson Leadership Academy in Connecticut, where he earned a Certificate of Completion in 2017, and at the Eastern Leadership Academy of the Council of State Governments. There, he not only graduated but also served as a member of the Transportation Policy Committee. His extensive management experience includes Training Manager at Pepsi, Co, for 5 years after graduating from business school; Manager of the Food and Beverage division of the Frenchman’s Reef Hotel & Resort; a small business owner for over 20 years; and for over 20 years Senator Blyden was employed as Housing Manager and District Manager at the VI Housing Authority before being elected to the Legislature. 

Married to Jacqueline Modeste Blyden for 35 years, a father of three grown children and grandfather of seven, Senator Blyden finds success in a grounded family life that allows him to serve his community well. Known as a natural-born leader, Senator Blyden is driven and optimistic, always willing to uplift those around him.

In the community, Senator Blyden has served as a little league football coach, Zero Tolerance basketball coach, contractor, consultant, and motivator. His philosophy centers on the belief that positively impacting people and their families is a sacred responsibility. This ethos has driven his extensive community engagement, including the annual “V.I. Women United to Empower Scholarship Prayer Breakfast,” which has raised over $60,000 in scholarships for college-bound high school students.

Annually, Senator Blyden holds and supports fundraisers and events that directly supports the St. Thomas and St. John community. He has also co-sponsored/co-chaired the US Virgin Islands/Caribbean Emergency Housing and Safe Waste Summit and hosts a popular bi-weekly radio show on WSTA, “the people’s station. Additionally, Senator Blyden was voted best Senator by the Virgin Islands Daily News readers for two consecutive years 2017-2019. In addition to his other public service activities, Blyden and his team regularly engage with community organizations to assist the elderly and other persons in need in activities such as food and sandbag distributions.

In his tenure, Senator Blyden has twice been elected Majority Leader and recently served as the Vice-President of the 35th Legislature. Now serving his sixth term, Senator Blyden is the Chairman of the Housing, Transportation, and Telecommunications in the 36th Legislature of the Virgin Islands and is undisputedly known as the territory’s foremost advocate for affordable housing, for seniors and for persons with disabilities. Some of the highlights of his accomplishments during his tenure include: the repair and flood control on the Coki Beach Road; approval of a landmark 10-year Affordable Plan that will result in the replacement of every unit in public housing communities; preserving the retirement system; the enactment of legislation to establish a school dental health program; the establishment of Juneteenth as an official holiday in the Virgin Islands; the establishment of a Disability Integration Unit to better serve persons with disabilities during emergencies and natural disasters; landmark legislation to protect our shorelines and to establish the Virgin Islands as the first jurisdiction to implement a ban on reef-harming sunscreens; the protection of VI homeowners from improper liens for work performed under emergency repair programs; to provide protections and  benefits for Virgin Islands workers and residents during the COVID-19 pandemic and the creation of the 1st Time Homebuyer Program, which allocates $4 Million annually via VIHFA to support gap financing for potential new homeowners. He has also successfully advocated the homeownership conversion of the Calabash Boom, Lovenlund, and Amalie Terrace communities, and for the extension of potable water lines in residential neighborhoods on St. Thomas and St. John. 

Senator Blyden’s legislative priorities for his sixth term include passing a workforce housing development bill, providing free post-secondary technical education, establishing an Office of Landlord-Tenant Relations, and ensuring local contractor participation in government projects. His steadfast belief that every challenge has a solution is encapsulated in his slogan, “Your Choice for Solutions.”