Thursday, July 2, 2026

Governor Spanberger Announces Board Appointments

Seal of the Commonwealth

Commonwealth of Virginia

Office of Governor Abigail Spanberger

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, July 2, 2026

CONTACT: press@governor.virginia.gov

Governor Spanberger Announces Board Appointments 

RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today announced the following board appointments.

 

I am proud to appoint this exceptional group of leaders to serve our Commonwealth,” said Governor Abigail Spanberger. “I have full confidence that they will use their extensive personal and professional experience to serve their neighbors with dedication and integrity as we advance our shared mission to make Virginia safer, stronger, and more affordable for all — now and into the future.

 

AGRICULTURE & FORESTRY

 

Milk Commission

 

  • Mark Mitchell of Glade Spring, Retired, Backcountry Farm

 

COMMONWEALTH

 

Advisory Board on Service and Volunteerism

 

  • Jason Ascher of Arlington, Political Director, Mid-Atlantic Pipe Trades Association
  • Chanda D. Cole of Chesterfield, Insurance Industry Professional, USAA 
  • Lakeesha Atkinson of Portsmouth, Portsmouth School Board
  • Jason Townsend of Mineral, Director of Agricultural Products, U.S. Africa Trade Desk
  • Dr. Keshia A. Brown of Chesapeake, Pastor, The Mount @Chesapeake
  • Dr. Sara Holtz of Fairfax, Adjunct faculty, George Mason University

 

African American Advisory Board

 

  • Hope Cupit of Bedford, CEO, SERCAP, INC.
  • Alicia E. Smith of Norfolk, JD, Principal, Estelle Lee Solutions, LLC


Commission on Men and Boys

 

  • Eldon Burton of Chesterfield, Special Assistant for Strategic Initiatives and Associate VP for Government Relations, Virginia State University
  • Stanley Meador, Secretary of Public Safety
  • Dr. Jeffery Smith, Secretary of Education
  • Carrie Chenery, Secretary of Commerce & Trade
  • Marvin Figueroa, Secretary of Health & Human Resources

 

Council on Women

 

  • Jennifer Siciliano of Charlottesville, Chief External Affairs Officer, UVA Health
  • Shantell Rock of Prince William County, Senior Paralegal, Akin Gump

 

Latino Advisory Board

 

  • Mario Flores of Fairfax, Principal Government Relations Advisor, Navy Federal Credit Union
  • Juan Santacoloma of Chesterfield, Community Outreach Specialist, Chesterfield County Public Schools
  • Robert Vendel of Keysville, Managing Partner, Vendel Partners LLC
  • Christian Martinez Lemus of Stafford, Research and Policy Analyst, CASA
  • Yesy Amaya of Manassas Park, Council Member, City of Manassas Park
  • Anita Nadal of Glen Allen, Assistant Professor and Faculty Fellow for Community Engagement, Virginia Commonwealth University

 

LGBTQ+ Advisory Board

 

  • *Kellen MacBeth of Arlington, President & Founder, Equality Arlington
  • Trong Nguyen of Providence Forge, Director of Talent Strategy and Organizational Effectiveness, Department of Motor Vehicles
  • Sabrina Temoche of Loudoun, Student, George Mason University
  • Bryan Price of Danville, Program Manager, Virginia Rural Health Association
  • Michael Aho of Falls Church, Adjunct Faculty, George Mason University
  • Susan Park of King George, Proposal Manager, Bechtel

 

EDUCATION

 

A.L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership

 

  • Dr. Tashika Griffith of Fredericksburg, President, Germanna Community College

 

Board of Education

 

  • *William Robinson of Crozet, UVA Partnership for Leaders in Education Executive Director, UVA Darden School Foundation
  • Dr. Aaliyah Samuel of Fairfax, Education Consultant

 

Commission on School Construction and Modernization

 

  • Juan Durvelle Young of Caroline, Licensed Insurance Agent, Nexus Wealth Builders

 

Education Commission of the States

 

  • Joy McManus of Alexandria, Retired
  • Allan Scott Fleming, Executive Director, State Council of Higher Education for Virginia

 

Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia

 

  • Beau Dickenson of Harrisonburg, Social Studies Supervisor, Rockingham County Public Schools & Virginia Social Studies Leaders Consortium
  • Carolyn Dull of Staunton, Retired, City of Staunton
  • Dr. Taneisha Brown of Richmond, Senior Advisor to the President, Virginia State University

 

Institute for Advanced Learning and Research

 

  • Ben Davenport, Jr. of Chatham, Chairman, First Piedmont Corporation

 

Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation

 

  • Lana Real of King William, Paralegal, Upper Mattaponi Tribe
  • Sue Gerdelman of James City, Retired
  • Ervin Jordan of Charlottesville, Associate Professor, University of Virginia
  • Jim Wheaton of Williamsburg, Clinical Associate Professor, William & Mary Law School

 

Legislative Advisory Council to the Southern Regional Education Board

 

  • Delegate Shelly Simonds, 70th House District
  • Delegate Lily Franklin, 41st House District
  • Senator Lashrecse Aird, 13th Senate District
  • Delegate Margaret Franklin, 23rd House District
  • Delegate Briana Sewell, 25th House District

 

The Library Board

 

  • Dr. K.T. Vaughan of Harrisonburg, Hal F. and Barbra Buckner Higginbotham University Librarian, Washington and Lee University
  • Stanley Reid of Fairfax, Retired, Strategic Sciences LLC
  • Laura Blevins of Abingdon, Southwest Virginia Regional Director, Office of U.S. Senator Tim Kaine
  • Suzy Palmer of Richmond, Retired Academic Librarian, Longwood University

 

New College Institute

 

  • Teddy Martin of Bassett, Chief People Officer, GENEDGE (A.L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership)
  • O. Randolph Rollins of Martinsville, Attorney-at-Law, O Randolph Rollins PLC

 

Norfolk State University Board of Visitors

 

  • *Dr. Harold Watkins of Richmond, Clinician, Nexus

 

Radford University Board of Visitors

 

  • Stacey Brayboy of Alexandria, Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs, March of Dimes

 

Roanoke Higher Education

 

  • Christen Brooke Miles of Roanoke, Vice President, HR and Community Engagement, RGC Resources, Inc.
  • Shaenita Leann Horton of Roanoke, District Senior Manager, Wells Fargo Bank

 

Science Museum of Virginia

 

  • Tram Nguyen of Richmond, Co-Executive Director, New Virginia Majority
  • Craig Group of Charlottesville, Professor of Physics, University of Virginia
  • Gina Burgin of Henrico, Deputy General Counsel, Dominion Energy
  • Adam Spanberger of Richmond, Engineer, L3Harris Technologies, Inc

 

Southern Regional Education Board

 

  • Senator Lashrecse Aird, 13th Senate District
  • Jenna Conway, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Virginia Department of Education

 

Southern Virginia Higher Education Center

 

  • Grey Watson of Halifax, Executive Director, Sentara Health

 

University of Mary Washington Board of Visitors

 

  • Charles Shackleton McDaniel of Washington, D.C., Vice President, Hilldrup

 

Virginia Commission for the Arts

 

  • Dr. Sylvio Lynch of Richmond, Planner/Secretary of History and Culture Commission, City of Richmond
  • Ashley Webb of Roanoke, Executive Director & Curator, Historical Society of Western Virginia
  • Rowena Federico Finn of Virginia Beach, Artist & Educator, Self

 

Virginia Museum of Natural History

 

  • Christine Louise May of Augusta, Professor of Biology, James Madison University
  • Dr. John Almarode of Waynesboro, Professor of Education, James Madison University

 

FINANCE


Treasury Board

 

  • G. Robert Vaughan of Salem, Senior Vice President, Finance & Treasurer, Carilion Clinic
  • Maria Tedesco of Richmond, President and Chief Operating Officer, Atlantic Union Bank

 

Virginia Resources Authority

 

  • Rodney Hathaway of New Kent, County Administrator, New Kent County

 

PUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND SECURITY

 

Scientific Advisory Committee

 

  • Robert Miles of Richmond, Special Agent Forensic Scientist Supervisor, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

 

Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority

 

  • Dr. Lucretia Mason-Underdue of Portsmouth, Therapist, Magellan Health

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Aerospace Advisory Council

 

  • Yiannis Papelis of Norfolk, Executive Director of Virginia Institute for Spaceflight and Autonomy, Old Dominion University
  • Erik Rison of Richmond, Senior Manager, State Advocacy, Government Operations, The Boeing Company
  • Dr. Christopher Goyne of Charlottesville, Professor, University of Virginia
  • Kurt D. Eberly of Arlington, Director of Space Launch Programs, Northrop Grumman
  • Evan Koppel of Loudoun, Director of Sales, Atlantic Region, United Airlines
  • Roosevelt Mercer of Norfolk, CEO & Executive Director, Virginia Commercial Spaceflight Authority


Air and Space Center Board of Directors

 

  • Robin McDougal of Reston, Founder/Chair, The Pearl Project Institute for Innovation in STEM Literacy
  • Donna Speller Turner of Virginia Beach, President, Advantage Business Strategies, Inc.
  • Gerard Hall of Chesapeake, Senior Program Manager, MCH Consulting Services
  • William Coleman of Henrico, Senior Program Manager, CommonSpirit Health


Aviation Board

 

  • Don Long of Charlottesville, Attorney, Flora Pettit PC
  • Maggie Ragon of Staunton, Commissioner of Revenue, City of Staunton


Board of Commissioners of the Virginia Port Authority


  • Malcolm P. Mitchell, Jr. of Portsmouth, Founder, Digital Handshake, Inc.
  • Yogi Singh of Richmond, Partner, 1850 Investments
  • David Hallock of Richmond, President, Two Capitols Consulting
  • *Maurice Jones of Norfolk, CEO/Founder, MJConnects

 

Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission

 

  • Lisa Cuba of Accomack, Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Officer, Forbright Bank
  • Jeff Walker of Northampton, Retired Airline Pilot, Continental Airlines

 

Commonwealth Transportation Board

 

  • Grindly Johnson of Richmond, Consultant/Lobbyist, Perception
  • Charles Payne of Fredericksburg, Managing Partner of Fredericksburg Office, Hirschler Law
  • Jim Moye of Mineral, Senior Vice President, American Bankers Association
  • Marianne Moffat Radcliff of Richmond, President, Kemper Consulting
  • C. Dulany Morison of Loudoun, Co-Owner, Stoke Farm LLC

 

Medical Advisory Board for Department of Motor Vehicles

 

  • Lauren Holleman Grawert of Arlington, Chief Medical Officer, Aware Recovery Care


Passenger Rail Authority

 

  • Patricia H. Doersch of Falls Church, Attorney, NADA
  • Prescott Sherrod of Virginia Beach, CEO, PEMCCO INC.
  • Amanda Pratter of Woodbridge, Director of Policy Advocacy, Gilead


Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads

 

  • Rodney Nickens of Chesapeake, Political Consultant, R&N Strategies LLC
  • Joe Harmon of Portsmouth, Coordinator of Secondary Performing Arts, Portsmouth Public Schools

 

VETERANS & DEFENSE AFFAIRS

 

Board of Veterans Services

 

  • *Sonja Lemott of Stafford, Retired, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • *Vonzell Mattocks of Prince William, Director, Northern Virginia Regional Commission
  • Donna Lewis of Virginia Beach, Speech Language Pathologist, SECEP
  • Carrie Ricci of City of Fairfax, Former General Counsel, United States Army

 

Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations

 

  • Meredith Burns of Arlington, Veterans Services Program Manager & Senior VSO, Navy Mutual Aid Association
  • Robert Pryor of Henrico, Military Outreach Representative, Office of Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan

 

Veterans Services Foundation Board of Trustees

 

  • *Steven Arango of Vienna, Lawyer, Jenner & Block
  • *Col. Matt Scalia of James City, Retired, U.S. Army

 

*Denotes reappointment

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