FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE from VMA's consultant, Kemper Consulting
January 13, 2026
Governor-elect Spanberger's Cabinet is Complete
As the 2026 General Assembly Session approaches, Kemper Consulting is providing an updated overview of Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger’s leadership appointments to date. Our last communication of December 5 included the Governor-elect’s selection of her Secretary of Health and Human Resources, Secretary of Agriculture and Finance, and Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security. For your reference, today’s release includes the full list of cabinet secretaries along with the Governor-elect’s principal staff.
Kemper Consulting’s work throughout the upcoming legislative session and during the next four years will be impacted by Governor-elect Spanberger’s appointments. Marianne Radcliff and Emily O’Brion continue to be engaged in the transition process with the Governor-elect’s team. The change in the Administration, along with the notable turnover of legislators following the November election, ensures that 2026 will be a transformational year.
Governor Spanberger, along with Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi and Attorney General Jay Jones, will take their oaths of office at noon this Saturday, January 17, 2026. Two days later, the Governor is scheduled to address a joint session of the General Assembly on Monday, January 19, 2026, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
The General Assembly is scheduled to convene at noon on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. Look for Kemper Consulting’s “Day One” Client Release on Wednesday for more information about the 2026 Session and the results of the recent special elections.
Chief of Staff
Bonnie Krenz-Schnurman
Bonnie Krenz-Schnurman, of Chesterfield County, will serve as chief of staff, a role she held for five years in Spanberger’s congressional office on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and also for the past two years, since the former congresswoman launched her campaign for governor.
She previously served as senior policy adviser at the White House Domestic Policy Council under President Barack Obama and, before that, managed a national malaria program in Tanzania for the Clinton Health Access Initiative.
Secretary of Administration
Traci J. Deshazor
Traci J. Deshazor is a seasoned public administrator originally from Danville. Her career spans municipal and state government as well as federal intergovernmental affairs. Deshazor previously served the City of Richmond as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Human Services and as its first Chief Equity Officer. At the state level, she served as Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth under two governors.
Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry
Katie Frazier
Katie Frazier will serve as Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry. She is a native of the Shenandoah Valley and has spent her entire career in Virginia's agriculture and forestry industries. Since 2018, Frazier has served as the Chief Brand Officer for Farm Credit of the Virginias. She also previously served as the Executive Director of the Virginia Agribusiness Council.
Secretary of Commerce and Trade
Carrie Chenery
Carrie Chenery of Staunton, Virginia, is the founder and principal of Valley Pike Partners, a statewide economic development and government relations consulting firm. She previously served as Executive Director of the Shenandoah Valley Partnership and was the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture & Forestry during the McAuliffe administration. She served on the Board of Directors of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership for eight years.
Secretary of the Commonwealth
Candi Mundon King
Delegate Candi Mundon King is an elected official with more than two decades of experience leading advocacy efforts in education, public safety, economic development, and social justice. Since 2021, she has represented parts of Prince William and Stafford Counties in Virginia’s 23rd District in the House of Delegates, where she advanced legislation ranging from teacher pay raises and renter protections to the landmark Virginia MOMnibus, while also founding the Sickle Cell Caucus and the Black Maternal Health Caucus.
Secretary of Education
Dr. Jeffery O. Smith
Dr. Jeffery O. Smith is a veteran educator with more than 32 years of service, including 15 years as a superintendent in Hampton City Schools and the Town of West Point. He previously held multiple senior instructional roles in Virginia school divisions and has taught as adjunct faculty at Old Dominion University and the College of William and Mary.
Secretary of Finance
Delegate Mark D. Sickles
Delegate Mark D. Sickles is concluding his 22nd year representing southern Fairfax County in the Virginia House of Delegates, where he built a reputation for bipartisan problem solving and steady legislative leadership. Sickles has held key leadership roles on the Health and Human Services Committee and the Appropriations Committee, consistently representing the House in budget negotiations and currently serving as chair of the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission (JLARC), while also serving on several major commissions and committees.
Secretary of Health and Human Resources
Marvin B. Figueroa
Marvin B. Figueroa is a health policy leader originally from La Ceiba, Honduras, with senior experience across federal and state governments. He has served as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources in Virginia, a senior official in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and a health policy advisor to U.S. Senator Mark Warner, where he helped craft the CHRONIC Care Act.
Secretary of Labor
Jessica K. Looman
Jessica K. Looman brings national experience to her role as Virginia’s Secretary of Labor. She previously served as Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, where she led federal labor standards enforcement for 165 million workers. Most recently a Senior Fellow with the NYU Wagner Labor Initiative, she has also previously served as Executive Director of the Minnesota State Building and Construction Trades Council and is a 30-year member of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA).
Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources
Delegate David Bulova
Delegate David Bulova has represented Virginia’s 11th District in the House of Delegates since 2005. As a senior legislator, he has held several leadership roles, including budget conferee and Chair of the House General Laws Committee. In addition, he serves on key commissions focused on natural resources.
Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security
Stanley Meador
Stanley Meador, former Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Richmond Field Office, will serve as Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security. A native of Galax, Meador began his law enforcement career as a Special Agent with the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority. He joined the FBI in 2002, starting as a special agent in the Seattle and Las Vegas Field Offices before serving in various leadership roles at the FBI's Headquarters in Washington, DC. He was named head of the Richmond office in 2021.
Secretary of Transportation
Nick Donohue
Nick Donohue is a Richmond native who founded Transportation and Infrastructure Strategies, LLC. He has advised public and private sector clients on a broad range of transportation issues for the last four years. Donohue has served in senior leadership positions under three Virginia governors, including previously serving as Deputy Secretary of Transportation in the Northam and McAuliffe administrations.
Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs
Retired U.S. Army Major General Timothy P. Williams
Retired U.S. Army Major General Timothy P. Williams brings 38 years of military service to his role as Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, including nine years as Virginia’s Adjutant General, leading the Department of Military Affairs and overseeing the Army National Guard, Air National Guard, and Virginia Defense Force. Since retiring in 2023, he has served as an advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau on intergovernmental affairs.
Counselor to the Governor
Matt McGuire
Matt McGuire is a Virginia born legal advisor who previously served as Principal Deputy Solicitor General & Executive Division Counsel under Attorney General Mark Herring. He later advised global companies, emerging tech startups, local governments, and additional clients, during his in house role at Shopify, overseeing global privacy.
Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Dr. Sesha Joi Moonon
Dr. Sesha Joi Moon has more than 20 years of experience advancing organizational impacts and ensuring inclusive decision making. She most recently served as Chief Diversity Officer of the U.S. House of Representatives, leading the Office of Diversity & Inclusion under Speakers Nancy Pelosi (D), Kevin McCarthy (R), and Mike Johnson (R). She is a Richmond native currently residing in Fairfax.
Governor-elect Spanberger announced other key appointments on January 5 and January 9, including the following: Rebecca Eichmann will serve as Policy Director, and Gerica Goodman will serve as Legislative Director. As Kemper Consulting has previously reported, Karen Mask, who has led the transition, will serve as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations in the new Administration.