Nonetheless, experts said the appointments suggest Spanberger will begin working quickly once she takes office, and her focus, as it was during the campaign cycle, will be affordability.
With her inauguration scheduled for next weekend, Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger has been filling out her cabinet.
The selections, which range from experts who served under previous governors to state lawmakers, still have to be approved by the General Assembly.
Nonetheless, experts said the appointments suggest Spanberger will begin working quickly once she takes office, and her focus, as it was during the campaign cycle, will be affordability.
“You do see a range of representation across the geographical and political diversity of Virginia,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “You see a vision that is consistent with the centrist messaging of the campaign.”
So who has Spanberger appointed so far?
Spanberger’s appointees
Marvin Figueroa, health and human resources secretary
Virginia’s HHR secretary has oversight of 12 state agencies.
Figueroa is vice president at BGR Group, working on state and federal health policy. He was once health policy adviser to Sen. Mark Warner and served as a senior official at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Figueroa, who lives in Arlington, was deputy secretary of health and human resources under former Gov. Ralph Northam.
In a statement, he said the challenges Virginians are facing “are real. Families are feeling the strain of rising costs, uneven access to care and systems that are often too hard to navigate.”
Katie Frazier, secretary of agriculture and forestry
Since 2018, Frazier has worked as the chief brand officer for Farm Credit of the Virginias, which helps provide financing for equipment, livestock, land purchases and farm and country home loans, according to its website. In that role, she leads marketing, education, legislative and advocacy efforts, according to a news release.
Frazier previously worked as the executive director of the Virginia Agribusiness Council, a nonprofit trade group in Richmond.
Frazier has worked on various issues, including soil and water conservation and workforce development, at the state and federal levels, according to a news release announcing her appointment.
“Governor-elect Spanberger has been a steadfast champion and supporter of agriculture and forestry, a commitment that began during her time in Congress serving on the House Agriculture Committee,” Frazier said in a statement. “I look forward to collaborating with the Spanberger Administration, the General Assembly, and our partners to continue advancing a vision of economic growth and prosperity for our farmers, foresters, and agribusinesses.”
Stanley Meador, secretary of public safety and homeland security
Meador has worked in law enforcement for almost three decades, starting as a special agent with Virginia’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority in 1997.
He was part of the response to the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon, and earned a Virginia “Declaration of Valor” for his work on that day.
Then, Meador started a career with the FBI as a special agent, working in various field offices across the country. In 2021, Meador became special agent in charge at the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, tasked with oversight of national security and criminal investigations.
Meador earned an undergraduate degree from Roanoke College and a master’s from American University in D.C.
“Throughout my career, I have been committed to protecting our communities and strengthening the partnerships that keep them safe,” Meador said in a statement. “As a native Virginian, I look forward to supporting Governor-elect Spanberger’s vision with the same dedication, integrity, and commitment that have guided my service for nearly three decades.”
Nick Donohue, secretary of transportation
Donohue founded Transportation and Infrastructure Strategies LLC, advising public and private sector clients on various issues. He’s worked under three Virginia governors, working with state lawmakers to create the Interstate 81 Corridor Improvement Program and “secure the first dedicated capital funding for WMATA,” according to a news release.
Donohue was involved with the Transforming Rail in Virginia initiative, helping to increase Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express service across the state. He also helped with the development of SMART SCALE, Virginia’s project prioritization process.
David Ramadan, a former House of Delegates member now a professor of practice at George Mason’s Schar School of Policy and Government, said Donohue is “probably the foremost person who knows everything there is to know about transportation in Virginia.”
Candi Mundon King, secretary of the commonwealth
Mundon King is one of several state lawmakers Spanberger has appointed to her cabinet. She’s served Virginia’s 23rd district in the House of Delegates since 2021, representing parts of Prince William and Stafford counties.
She chairs the House Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns and has prioritized getting pay raises for teachers, protecting human trafficking victims and ensuring home health care workers get paid sick leave.
Before Mundon King was elected to office, she worked at public policy and philanthropy organizations, including the Gates Foundation and CARE.
Mundon King was born and raised in Portsmouth and lives in Dumfries.
Ramadan told WTOP adding cabinet members from the General Assembly will help Spanberger get her agenda passed.
“They are independent bodies with minds of their own and priorities of their own, despite the cooperation and coordination with the leadership,” said Ramadan, a former delegate. “Therefore, having members of your cabinet and sub cabinet positions of people that know the process, know the people in the House and the Senate have the relationships, is a must.”
Army Maj. Gen. Timothy Williams
Williams worked under three Virginia governors as adjutant general of the state for nine years. In 2023, he retired, after 38 years working with the Army.
In his role as adjutant general, Williams headed Virginia’s Department of Military Affairs, which supports the Army National Guard, Air National Guard and Defense Force.
Williams led the Guard through the pandemic, helping with testing and vaccines.
Since his retirement, Williams has worked as adviser to the Chief of National Guard Bureau on intergovernmental affairs.
Williams has served at every level of the military.
“I share Governor-elect Spanberger’s focus on making sure Virginia communities have the resources they need to keep their citizens safe, so we will make sure the Virginia National Guard is always ready and always there to rapidly respond as part of Virginia’s multi-agency team to provide capabilities when Virginians are impacted by severe weather or a security threat,” Williams said in a statement.
Mark Sickles, secretary of finance
Sickles has represented part of Fairfax County in Virginia’s House for over two decades. He’s currently the chair of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, and he has chaired the House Health and Human Services Committee since 2004.
During his time in office, Sickles has prioritized investing in libraries, protecting endangered species and led the transition from Healthcare.gov to Virginia’s Health Insurance Exchange.
Ramadan, with George Mason, said Sickles was vice chair of appropriations in the House, and “knows everything there is to know about the budget.”
Traci Deshazor, secretary of administration
Deshazor worked as deputy secretary of the commonwealth under former governors Ralph Northam and Terry McAuliffe. In that role, she helped with clemency and restoring civil and voting rights of over 300,000 Virginians.
Locally, Deshazor worked as deputy chief administrative officer for human services in the City of Richmond. During that stint, she created a new city agency, the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, and created the Office of Homeless Services and Office of Neighborhood and Community Services.
Deshazor also worked as the first chief equity officer for the City of Richmond.
“As secretary of administration, I will bring a people-first, outcomes-driven approach to strengthening Virginia’s operations, promoting transparency, and strengthening trust in government,” Deshazor said.
Jessica Looman, secretary of labor
Former President Joe Biden appointed Looman to serve as administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, and she led the agency from 2021 to 2025.
She’s previously worked as commissioner of Minnesota’s Department of Commerce, with oversight of insurance and financial institution regulation.
Looman worked as a senior fellow at the NYU Wagner Labor Initiative, crafting ways to help state and local governments protect workers’ rights and offer insight on child labor and interstate collaboration.
“I share Governor-elect Spanberger’s vision that both investing in the creation of good jobs and protecting workers are essential to sustaining the Commonwealth’s economic growth and shared prosperity,” Looman said.
Jeffery Smith, secretary of education
Smith has over a decade of experience as a superintendent, leading Hampton City schools for eight years and Town of West Point schools for seven.
His career has featured over 30 years in public school education, and during his tenure, Hampton City schools improved graduation rates and reported declines in dropout rates.
Smith is currently the executive director and CEO of the Virginia Air and Space Science Center.
In an interview with WTOP, Spanberger said Smith has “done innovative, really thoughtful things in the communities that he has served. And so I look forward to seeing the perspective that he brings to the secretariat as a whole.”
Sesha Joi Moon, chief diversity officer
Moon worked as chief diversity officer of the U.S. House of Representatives during the 117th and 118th Congresses, heading the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
She previously served as chief impact officer with Girl Scouts USA and chief diversity officer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology at the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Moon lives in Fairfax but is from Richmond.
“As a proud Virginia native, I look forward to joining the cabinet of Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger as her historic administration works to advance a future in which all Virginians have access to opportunity — to include residents from some of the hardest-to-reach communities throughout the Commonwealth,” Moon said in a statement.
Matt McGuire, counsel to the governor
McGuire has worked in private practice and academia, and worked as principal deputy solicitor general and executive division counsel under former Attorney General Mark Herring.
He co-taught a seminar at the University of Richmond’s law school and has argued cases at each level of the federal and Virginia court systems and the U.S. Supreme Court.
“I’ll draw on my extensive experience with public law issues, my global background in business and technology matters as well as litigation to ensure the Governor-elect’s crucial policies will benefit Virginians for years to come,” McGuire said in a statement.
David Bulova, secretary of natural and historic resources
Bulova has been a delegate in Virginia’s House, representing parts of Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax, since he was first elected in 2005.
He is chair of the General Laws Committee and the Commerce, Agriculture and Natural Resources subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee.
Bulova is on the Chesapeake Bay Commission and has focused on legislation and funding for conservation and restoration of Virginia’s natural resources.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to work with our Governor-elect, the General Assembly, and the many partners that work hard every day to fulfill the promise outlined in Virginia’s constitution ‘to protect its atmosphere, lands, and waters from pollution, impairment, or destruction, for the benefit, enjoyment, and general welfare of the people of the Commonwealth,” Bulova said in a statement.
