Governor McAuliffe’s Administration Appointments Announced

RICHMOND – Governor Terry McAuliffe announced additional appointments to his administration today. The appointees will join McAuliffe’s administration focused on finding common ground with members of both parties on issues that will grow Virginia’s economy and create more jobs across the Commonwealth.

Office of the Governor

Glenda Andes, Special Assistant for Constituent Services

Glenda Andes served on the McAuliffe Transition Team in Constituency Services. Andes graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business with a minor in Marketing and Public Relations.

Zaki Barzinji, Policy Assistant

Zaki Barzinji served as the Director of SBC, a trade-organization representing minority-owned businesses based in Virginia. He is a native of Loudoun County and holds Bachelor’s Degrees in English and Political Science from Virginia Tech.

Asif Bhavnagri, Communications Assistant

Asif Bhavnagri was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. Asif is a recent graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University where he studied Political Science and African American studies. He spent several years as an intern in the Virginia General Assembly, assisting members of the House of Delegates on a variety of issues from healthcare to education.

Reginald McKoy, Director of Constituent Services

Reginald McKoy served as the Appointment Coordinator for Governor McAuliffe’s Transition Team. McKoy graduated from Davidson College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a Concentration in Behavioral Neuroscience. McKoy also holds a law degree from Widener University School of Law.

Jay Swanson, Deputy Policy Director

Jay Swanson, a Vienna native, served as a Policy Analyst for Governor McAuliffe’s transition team. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Politics from Princeton University.

Jennifer Wicker, Deputy Legislative Director

Jennifer Wicker served previously as Legislative Coordinator in the office of Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones. Her experience includes working as Legislative Assistant to Delegates Viola Baskerville and Jennifer McClellan. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Randolph Macon College and a Masters of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Secretariat of Agriculture and Forestry

Travis Hill, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture

Travis Hill was first appointed to serve as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry by Governor Bob McDonnell in July 2011. Prior to his appointment to the Administration, Travis worked eight years as an attorney in the Richmond office of Williams Mullen, representing a wide variety of clients before the Virginia General Assembly, the State Corporation Commission and other regulatory bodies. Travis received both his BA and JD degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Meghan Hobbs, Special Assistant for the Secretary of Agriculture

Meghan Hobbs has been re-appointed by Governor McAuliffe as the Special Assistant to the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry.  Prior to working in this Secretariat, Meghan interned for the Secretary of Education. She holds Bachelor’s degrees in International Affairs and Political Science from the University of Mary Washington.

Secretariat of Administration

Gina Burgin, Deputy Secretary of Administration

Gina Burgin will serve as the Deputy Secretary of Administration.  Prior to joining the administration, she served as an Assistant City Attorney in Richmond, Virginia. Gina operated a private law firm for 5 years, and practiced for 12 years as a commercial real estate and business transactions partner with the Richmond law firm of Hirschler Fleischer, PC.  Ms. Burgin received her law degree from The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law in 1992 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Radio/Television Communications from The George Washington University in 1987.

Charlotte M. Hurd, Confidential Assistant to the Secretary of Administration

Charlotte M. Hurd is a former Navy Administrative Office and held a range of positions supporting senior military officials. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Resource Management from Park University and a Master’s in Management from Troy University.

Secretariat Public Safety

Victoria Cochran, Deputy Secretary of Public Safety

Victoria Cochran most recently served as Director for the Office of Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice Services in the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. Ms. Cochran managed Virginia’s Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health statewide Cross Systems Mapping Initiative and led the statewide expansion of Virginia’s Crisis Intervention Team programs, providing mental health crisis response training for over 5,000 first responders. Ms. Cochran was an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Criminal Justice at Radford University from 2004 – 2010. She received her B.A. from Oberlin College and her J.D. from the Marshall Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary.

Tonya Vincent, Deputy Secretary of Public Safety

Tonya D. Vincent served previously as Deputy Chief of Police with the Richmond Police Department, where she served for the past two and a half years. Prior to that, Tonya served 22 years with the Arlington County Police Department, where she retired as a captain. Due to her leadership abilities, Tonya was asked by the City’s Chief Administrative Officer to serve as the Interim Director for the Department of Social Services.  Tonya is currently enrolled in a PhD program through Virginia Tech in Public Administration and Public Affairs, with a concentration on Homeland Security. She holds two Master’s degrees, one in Public Administration and the other in Business Administration, all from Virginia Tech.

Secretariat of Transportation

Charles Kilpatrick, Commissioner, Virginia Department of Transportation

Charles Kilpatrick served previously as the Chief Deputy Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Transportation, where he oversaw the agency’s day-to-day operations and its strategic vision. Kilpatrick began his professional career with Fairfax County government.

Quintin D. Elliott, Chief Deputy Commissioner, Virginia Department of Transportation

Quintin D. Elliot served previously as the Fredericksburg District Administrator within the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), where he oversaw VDOT’s construction and maintenance on more than 11,500 miles of state-maintained roads in the 14-county region. Before that he served as  VDOT’s state asset management division administrator from 2002-2007, and as special assistant to the assistant commissioner for operations and the chief engineer in 2002.

Jennifer Clinger Mitchell, Director, Department of Rail and Public Transit

Jennifer Clinger Mitchell has 20 years’ experience in transit management, transportation funding, policy development and major capital projects. As an Assistant Vice President at Parsons Brinckerhoff, Jennifer managed the company’s Transit Project Development and Finance practice. She served previously as the Deputy Project Director for Finance at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, and as Manager of Project Finance for the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project within the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transit.

Secretariat of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security

Mike Coleman, Military Relations Liaison to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security

Mike Coleman began working as a Military Relations Liaison in 2009.  In this capacity he works with military installations and local communities on military issues.  Mike’s public service started in May 1974 with the Internal Revenue Service and ended in 2007 when he retired as a Colonel, as the Virginia National Guard Chief of Staff with more than 33 years of service.  Mike received his commission and a degree in mathematics from Virginia Military Institute in 1974, and received an MBA from Averett University in 1998.

Leslie Frazier, Policy Assistant to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security

Leslie Frazier received her Bachelor’s Degree in Government and Spanish from the University of Virginia.

Lorraine Lintecum, Executive Assistant to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security

Grace is originally from Martinsville and has over thirteen years of executive-level administrative experience as a Legislative Assistant for two delegates and a senator; six years as the Academic Affairs Support Specialist with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; and two years as the Executive Assistant for the Secretary of Education with Governor Kaine’s administration. Grace has taken classes at Patrick Henry Community College and Old Dominion University Teletechnet.

Contacts: Contact: Brian Coy, 804-887-9147

14 Jan 2014