by Dick Hall-Sizemore
Virginia has a tradition of continuity in state government. Generally, incumbent agency heads are reappointed, even if the new governor is of a different party than the outgoing governor and new Cabinet members are put in place. There have been many agency heads who have served multiple governors, of both parties, over the course of their careers. There is invariably some turnover. New governors often are looking for a change in direction in some high-profile agencies; some longtime agency heads are ready to retire and do not seek reappointment. But, by and large, there is stability.
With his appointments so far, Governor Youngkin is on track to maintain that tradition. Of the 34 agency head appointments announced, 20 were reappointments and 14 are new to their jobs.
These are the agencies getting new leadership:
- Dept. of Education
- Dept. of Aviation
- Dept. of Juvenile Justice
- Dept. of Veterans Services
- Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services
- Dept. of Housing and Community Development
- Dept. of Professional and Occupational Regulation
- Dept. of Labor and Industry
- Dept. of Environmental Quality
- Dept. of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
- Dept. of Emergency Management
- Virginia Parole Board
- Virginia Information Technologies Agency (the governor’s appointee stepped down after less than a month)
These are the agencies whose directors were reappointed:
- Dept of Transportation
- Dept. of Health Professions
- Dept of the Treasury
- Dept. of Corrections
- Dept of General Services
- Dept. of Human Resources Management
- Dept. of Forestry
- Dept. of Taxation
- Dept. for Aging and Rehabilitative Services
- Dept. for the Blind and Vision Handicapped
- Dept. of Medical Assistance Services
- Dept. of Rail and Public Transportation
- Dept. for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- Dept. of State Police
- Dept. of Criminal Justice Services
- Dept. of Accounts
- Dept. of Military Affairs
- Gunston Hall
- Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth
- Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority
All the appointments for the agencies listed above are awaiting confirmation by the General Assembly. The confirming resolution (SJR 83) was passed unanimously by the Senate and is on the floor of the House. There are still some agencies remaining for which no announcement has been made. Until Youngkin makes an appointment, they will continue to be run by the directors in place at the beginning of his term.
Finally, there are two agencies with acting directors, the Department of Health and the Department of Planning and Budget (DPB). In the case of DPB, Jon Howe was appointed acting director when Dan Timberlake announced his retirement in early January. Howe is a long-time employee of DPB and was a senior manager when he was designated acting director. If “acting” is removed from his title, that could be considered as opting for continuity.
