by James A. Bacon
Governor-Elect Glenn Youngkin has appointed Caren Merrick, a Northern Virginia investor, entrepreneur and philanthropist, as his Secretary of Commerce and Trade.
Merrick is best known as co-founder with her husband of one of Northern Virginia’s most successful home-grown IT companies, webMethods. They launched the company out of their house in 1996. In 2000 they took the company public. In 2007 webMethods was acquired by Software AG for $546 million. Merrick ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the Virginia state senate in 2011.
While her IT industry background is undoubtedly a plus, Youngkin also highlighted her experience relevant to workforce development.
“Virginia’s jobs machine has stalled out, and Caren is going to play a pivotal role on the team that will jumpstart our economy and reinvigorate job growth here in the Commonwealth,” Youngkin said. “Caren is an innovator, a business builder, and a true leader in workforce development — the kind of experience needed to develop talent, train workers, attract investment, and make Virginia the best state to start a business as we set out to add 400,000 jobs and launch 10,000 startups.”
Merrick, who is CEO of the VA Ready Initiative, has said that business can be a force for social good. VA Ready’s mission is to “rapidly reskill Virginians for in-demand jobs by supporting credentials in high-growth industries where Scholars have a better chance of finding career pathways that are family-sustaining and fulfilling.”
Merrick is Youngkin’s second cabinet-level appointment. Yesterday, he announced Aimee Rogstad Guidera as his Secretary of Education. That makes two accomplished women with strong private-sector credentials whom he has drafted into his administration. So far, so good.
Update: The Washington Post and other media outlets note that the VA Ready Initiative nonprofit was founded by none other than Youngkin himself. I should have picked that up. It looks like Merrick had the inside track on this appointment!
