Governor McAuliffe Announces Administration Appointments

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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.

Secretariat of Commerce and Trade

Susan Y. “Syd” Dorsey, Advisor for Small Business Development Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity

Syd Dorsey was the head of marketing and sales for Astyra Corporation, a Virginia minority business. Prior to that, Ms. Dorsey and spent 19 years with IBM Corporation with her last assignment as Global Marketing Manager for the State and Local Government Industries, including as IBM’s liaison to the National Governors’ Association, National Association of Counties, and National League of Cities. Ms. Dorsey previously served eight years on the University of Virginia Board of Visitors as a member of its Executive Committee and Chair of the Special Committee on Diversity and holds a B.S. in Architecture and an M.B.A from the University of Virginia.

Secretariat of Finance

Janet A. Aylor, Deputy Secretary of Finance

Janet Aylor currently serves as the Assistant Director of Debt Management for the Virginia Department of the Treasury.  As part of her duties she is the manager of the Virginia College Building Authority and for the past year, the Virginia Public School Authority. Ms. Aylor joined Treasury in July of 2001, after serving as Debt Manager for the Virginia Department of Transportation.  Prior to that, she spent twelve years as Director of Finance for the Virginia Resources Authority and seven years as an analyst with the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget.  She holds both B.A. and M.B.A. degrees from the College of William and Mary, and is a graduate of the Virginia Executive Institute and the National Institute for Public Finance.

Secretariat of Natural Resources

Stephanie Bishop Williams, Deputy Director, Department of Historic Resources

Stephanie Bishop Williams is from Brunswick County, and graduated from Saint Mary’s School in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1990. She earned her undergraduate degree from the College of Charleston in 1994 and her Master’s degree from North Carolina State University in 2004. In the past several years, she has worked at the Division of Legislative Services as an Associate Researcher and has also served as adjunct professor of English at John Tyler Community College.

Janet Lychock, Confidential Assistant for Policy, Department of Environmental Quality

Janet Lychock most recently worked as a cost analyst on the decade-long, multi-national Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) radio telescope construction project, based in the Republic of Chile and sponsored, in part, by the National Science Foundation.  Prior to that, Ms. Lychock worked as a research analyst in the fields of finance and telecommunications.  She received her B.S. degree from the School of Languages and Linguistics at Georgetown University and her M.B.A. from Virginia Tech.

Secretariat of Public Safety

Karen Brown, Chair, Virginia Parole Board

Karen Brown was appointed Vice-Chair of the Virginia Parole Board by former Governor Robert McDonnell in 2011.  She began her legal career as a judicial law clerk at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Ms. Brown served in the Newport News and Chesapeake Offices of the Commonwealth's Attorney for 16 years.  In that capacity, she prosecuted cases in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations, General District and Circuit Courts with a concentration on child abuse and sexual assault cases.  She graduated from Hampton University with a B.A. degree in Psychology.  She received her J.D. from George Mason University School of Law in 1991, and was admitted to the bar that same year.

Secretariat of the Commonwealth

Board Appointments

Health and Human Resources

Board of Optometry

·       Devon Cabot of Woodbridge, Aide to Supervisor Frank Principi, Prince William County

·       Dr. Helen Clayton-Jeter, O.D., of Great Falls, Health Program Coordinator, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Health and Constituent Affairs

Board of Social Services

·       Lou Ali of Richmond, Council Chief of Staff, City of Richmond

·       Sheila Coppage of Norfolk, Resident Service Specialist, Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority

·       Mona Malik of Great Falls, President, Peaceful Families Project

·       Clyde Santana of Norfolk, Commander, USNR-R-RET; Retired, Special Agent in Charge, Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control

·       Kent Willis of Arlington, Retired, Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union

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Governor McAuliffe Names Members of Virginia Cyber Security Commission

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RICHMOND – Today, Governor McAuliffe announced the members of the Virginia Cyber Security Commission, a group established by executive order which will bring public and private sector experts together to make recommendations on how to make Virginia a leader in cyber security.

The Commission will be co-chaired by Secretary of Technology Karen Jackson and Richard Clarke, Chairman and CEO of Good Harbor Security Risk Management. The Commission includes industry leaders from across the Commonwealth as well as representatives from the McAuliffe Administration and will hold its inaugural meeting on June 11^th.

“This group of experts, industry leaders, and administration officials will work together to identify ways in which the public and private sector can work together to bolster Virginia’s cyber security industry so we can expand Virginia’s economic footprint in cyber technology and protect the Commonwealth from cyber threats,” said Governor McAuliffe. “The Commission will also explore opportunities to advance education in key STEM sectors that will support a workforce pipeline to prepare Virginia students for jobs in industries of the 21^st Century including cyber security.”

The Cyber Security Commission was established by Executive Order (EO8) in February 2014. 

Responsibilities of the Commission:

The Commission’s responsibilities shall include the following: 

1. Identify high risk cyber security issues facing the Commonwealth of Virginia. 
2. Provide advice and recommendations related to securing Virginia’s state networks, systems, and data, including interoperability, standardized plans and procedures, and evolving threats and best practices to prevent the unauthorized access, theft, alteration, and destruction of the Commonwealth’s data. 
3. Provide suggestions for the addition of cyber security to Virginia’s Emergency Management and Disaster Response capabilities, including testing cyber security incident response scenarios, recovery and restoration plans, and coordination with the federal government – in consultation with the Virginia Information Technologies Agency.
4. Offer suggestions for promoting awareness of cyber hygiene among the Commonwealth’s citizens, businesses and government entities;
5. Present recommendations for cutting edge science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) educational and training programs for all ages, including K-12, community colleges, universities, in order to foster an improved cyber security workforce pipeline and create cyber security professionals with a wide range of expertise. 
6. Offer strategies to advance private sector cyber security economic development opportunities, including innovative technologies, research and development, and start-up firms, and maximize public-private partnerships throughout the Commonwealth. 
7. Provide suggestions for coordinating the review of and assessing opportunities for cyber security private sector growth as it relates to military facilities and defense activities in Virginia.

Members of the Commission:

Commission to be co-chaired by Richard Clarke and Secretary of Technology, Karen Jackson.

Mr.  Richard A. Clarke – Chairman and CEO of Good Harbor Security Risk Management and an internationally recognized expert on cyber security, homeland security, national security, and counterterrorism.  Mr. Clarke served the last three Presidents as a senior White House Advisor, including as Special Advisor to the President for Cyber Security and National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism, and was a member of President Obama’s Review Group on Intelligence and Communication Technologies.

Ms. Rhonda Eldridge – Director of Engineering at Technica Corporation.  In her current role she leads six divisions within Technica and is responsible for internal research and development, visioning, and business development – focusing on cutting edge cyber security and IT projects for Federal customers including the Department of Defense.

Ms. Jennifer Bisceglie, President and CEO, Interos Solutions, Inc.  Ms. Bisceglie has more than 20 years of commercial technology and business operations experience in cyber security, business process re-engineering, and commercial technology implementation for diverse companies industries and governments.

Mr. Paul Kurtz is the Chief Strategy Officer at CyberPoint.  Mr. Kurtz leads the development and communication of CyberPoint’s strategic vision for managing cyber threats.  A recognized cyber security expert, he has held senior positions in both industry and government.  During his government service, Kurtz was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Critical Infrastructure Protection on the White House’s Homeland Security Council (HSC).

Mr. Paul Tiao, Attorney and partner with the international law firm of Hunton and Williams, LLP where he is a leader in the firm’s global privacy and cyber security practice.  Prior to joining the firm Mr. Tiao served as Senior Counselor for cyber security and technology to FBI Director Robert S. Mueller.

Dr. Barry Horowitz, Munster Professor of Systems and Information Engineering and Chair of theSystems and Information Engineering Department  at the University of Virginia.  Dr. Horowitz’ research effort center on economic models and system technologies related to cyber security. He currently is leading a DoD sponsored research effort focused on embedding security solutions into systems, referred to as System Aware Cyber Security Dr. Horowitz serves as a member of the Naval Studies Board (NSB) of the National Academy of Science and recently led a Chief of Naval Operations sponsored study for the NSB on cyber security.

Mr. Andrew H. Turner, Vice President and Head of Global Security, VISA.  Mr. Turner developed, from the ground up, VISA’s Cyber Security organization, including the Attack Surface Management, Threat Intelligence, Incident Response and Digital Brand Protection Programs.  He also implemented a Cyber Fusion based program utilizing intelligence collection, analysis and overall sensor enrichment to actively monitor and defend against global threats to the VISA enterprise and ecosystem.  Prior to joining VISA, Mr. Turner served as Cyber Intelligence Practice Director for the Microsoft Corporation. 

Mr. Jeffrey C. “J.C.” Dodson, Global Chief Information Security Officer, BAE Systems.  Mr. Dodson is a global cyber security expert across government, defense, aerospace, law enforcement, and advanced technology sectors.  He is the chairman of the Aerospace Industries Association’s Industrial Security Committee and was appointed to serve as an Industry Representative to the U.S. Government’s National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee. 

Ms. Jandria Alexander, Principal Director of the Cyber Security Subdivision in the Engineering Technology Group at the Aerospace Company.  Ms. Alexander currently leads cyber and network security support to numerous customers and leads teams performing systems engineering for cyber operations, including architecture, requirements and concept of operations (CONOPS) support for integrating cyber operations into advanced ground and space segments.

Ms. Elizabeth “Betsy” Hight  - Retired US Navy rear admiral who served as the Vice Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DISA).  Most recently she served as Vice President of the Hewlett Packard’s Enterprise Services U.S. Public Sector Cybersecurity Practice.

Mr. John Wood is chief executive officer, chairman of the board and director for Telos Corporation. As CEO, he orchestrates the company's support of the federal government in the critical areas of cyber operations and defense, secure communications and collaboration, and identity assurance.

Anne Holton, Secretary of Education

John Harvey, Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs

Dr. Bill Hazel, Secretary of Health and Human Resources

Karen Jackson, Secretary of Technology

Maurice Jones, Secretary of Commerce and Trade

Brian Moran, Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security

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General Fund Revenue Collections Increased 10.0% in April

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Solid Gains Occurred in Net Individual Income Tax and the Insurance Premiums Tax

RICHMOND- Governor McAuliffe announced today that general fund revenue collections increased 10.0 percent in April, with solid gains in individual withholding and nonwithholding as well as in the insurance premiums tax.  On a year-to-date basis, total revenue collections were up 1.3 percent through April, slightly ahead of the annual forecast of 1.0 percent growth. 

“April is generally a significant month for revenue collections, said Governor McAuliffe. “The revenue data being released today represent a step in the right direction.”

May will be a critical month since individual income tax returns are due May 1.  In addition, a significant amount of May’s payments are from upper income individuals where a significant portion of their income is based on capital gains.  Recent news from states across the nation that have April 15^th filing deadlines indicate some disappointing news about non-withholding collections as the uncertainty arising from the federal Fiscal Cliff tax policy negotiations in the  December 2012/January 2013 timeframe appears to have shifted more capital gains from 2013 into 2012 than otherwise would be the case.  As a result, we must be cautious and continue our efforts to place a priority on creating jobs and diversifying our economy. 

Collections of payroll withholding taxes grew 8.0 percent in April, due to an extra deposit day compared with April 2013.  A significant month for individual nonwithholding and corporate income tax collections, these sources increased respectively by 15.0 percent and 0.4 percent.  The first estimated payment from insurance companies for tax year 2014 was due in April.  The insurance premiums tax totaled $113.8 million and increased by 11.0 percent.  Collections of sales and use taxes, reflecting March sales, fell 5.0 percent in April.  Finally, recordation taxes from real estate transactions were down 19.9 percent as home sales remained weak. 

On a year-to-date basis, collections of payroll withholding taxes – 63 percent of General Fund revenues -- increased 3.3 percent, ahead of the annual forecast of 2.9 percent growth.  Sales tax collections - 18 percent of General Fund revenues – have declined 4.8 percent through April, trailing the annual forecast calling for a 4.4 percent decline.  Adjusting for the accelerated sales tax program and the 0.125 percent sales tax transfer required by the provisions of HB 2313, total revenues grew 2.2 percent through April, slightly ahead of the adjusted forecast of 2.1 percent growth. 

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Governor McAuliffe Announces Leadership and First Meeting of Railroad Safety

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Governor McAuliffe Announces Leadership and First Meeting of Railroad Safety and Security Task Force

Richmond, VA – Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced that Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian J. Moran and Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne will co-chair the interagency Railroad Safety and Security Task Force, and that the panel will conduct its first meeting on June 4^th, 2014 at 1:00pm at the Virginia Emergency Operations Center in Chesterfield.

“This task force is an important step toward ensuring that Virginia is doing everything it can to keep our railroads and the communities around them safe, and that we are prepared to respond to incidents like the derailment and fire in Lynchburg earlier this month,” said Governor McAuliffe. “I have asked Secretaries Moran and Layne to bring our public safety, transportation and environmental protection agencies together to investigate what happened in Lynchburg and make recommendations of how Virginia can work with the federal government to keep our communities and our natural resources as safe as possible.”

The Railroad Safety and Security Task Force will include representatives from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP), the State Corporation Commission (SCC), the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and the Virginia State Police (VSP). The task force will solicit input from industry stakeholders, local governments and members of the public and produce a report of recommended state and federal actions to prevent railroad accidents and ensure that Virginia is prepared as possible to keep communities safe in the case of a future incident.

“Last month’s incident in Lynchburg could have been much worse, but local, state and federal responders worked together to keep the public safe and clean up the wreckage as soon as possible,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian J. Moran. “I want to thank Governor McAuliffe for forming this task force to ensure that every corner of Virginia is as prepared to act in the case of another accident as Lynchburg was, and that we are working with our federal partners to keep another incident like this from happening again.”

Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne continued, “Virginia’s railways are critical to the commerce and trade of the entire nation, and operating them safely should be priority one for the Commonwealth and our federal and industry partners. This task force is our opportunity to increase interagency cooperation, solicit public input and formulate recommendations to keep our railways and adjacent Virginia communities and resources as safe as possible.”

Governor McAuliffe announced his intention to form the Railroad Safety and Security Task Force earlier this month while touring the site of the April 30^th train derailment and fire in downtown Lynchburg, VA. 

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Governor McAuliffe Announces Appointment of New Adjutant General of Virginia

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Colonel Tim Williams to Lead Virginia National Guard as Major General Daniel E. Long, Jr. Retires

Richmond, VA – Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced that U.S. Army Colonel Timothy Paschal Williams will become the next Adjutant General of the Virginia and lead the Virginia Army National Guard, Virginia Air National Guard and Virginia Defense Force following the retirement of Major General Daniel E. "Chip" Long, Jr.

“Colonel Tim Williams’ vision, record of service and commitment to keeping Virginians safe make him the right choice to become Virginia’s next Adjutant General,” said Governor McAuliffe. “As a distinguished leader in the U.S. Army and the Virginia National Guard who served our country in Iraq, Colonel Williams understands the Guard, the men and women who serve in it and the critical role they play in protecting our way of life as Virginians. I look forward to continuing to work with soon-to-be General Williams, Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran and the brave men and women of the Virginia National Guard to respond to whatever emergencies may arise and keep our Commonwealth safe.”

Colonel Williams will assume the post following the retirement of Major General Long, who will retire at the end of May. Major General Long was sworn in as the Adjutant General in July 2010 and served in uniform for more than 50 years.

“On behalf of all Virginians, I want to thank Major General Chip Long for his lifetime of service to our Commonwealth and our country as a leader in the U. S. Army and the Virginia National Guard. As the Adjutant General, Major General Long fostered a culture of preparedness throughout the entire organization and his leadership made sure the men and women of the Guard rapidly responded to numerous disasters and emergencies, leaving their families and putting their civilian jobs on hold to keep their fellow Virginians safe.

“Living up to Major General Long’s legacy will be a tall task, but I am confident that we have chosen a worthy successor in Colonel Tim Williams.”

Colonel Williams will bring decades of experience in the U. S. Army and the Virginia National Guard to his post as Adjutant General. Colonel Williams earned his commissioned as a field artillery officer from Virginia Tech in 1985 and served on active duty for five years prior to joining the Virginia Army National Guard. He commanded at the field artillery battery and battalion level before transferring to the logistics corps and commanding the 329th Regional Support Group for four years. His most recent military assignment was J8 director of resource management on the Virginia National Guard Joint Staff, and as a civilian he currently serves as Director of Training Support and Doctrine at the Combined Arms Support Command at Fort Lee, Virginia. 

Colonel Williams’ career of service has resulted in numerous awards and decorations including the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Iraqi Campaign Medal with the Bronze Service Star following his service in the War in Iraq. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Virginia Tech and Master’s Degrees from Webster University and the U.S. Army War College. 

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Governor McAuliffe Awards Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund

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Governor McAuliffe Awards Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund Planning Grants to Communities in Central and Southern Virginia

~ Latest Round of AFID Planning Grants Furthers Two Local Food Projects, Supports County Effort to Grow Poultry Industry in the State ~

RICHMOND – Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced that three projects - two to make locally grown produce available year round and one seeking to bring a major poultry producer to Southside Virginia - were awarded $60,000 in planning grants from the Governor’s Agriculture & Forestry Industries Development Fund (AFID). The AFID planning grant program encourages local governments to work with the agricultural community to identify projects and opportunities that can bring important benefits to local producers, and the community as a whole.

“Supporting Virginia’s diverse agricultural and forestry sectors is a great way to expand and diversify our economy,” said Governor McAuliffe. “Assisting localities in identifying potential new projects and implementing programs that strengthen agriculture and forestry in their communities and will contribute to building a 21^st Century Virginia economy. Laying the foundation for possibly larger future projects in these communities, the relatively small, but important, amount of state support provided today allows localities to plan strategically and creatively about how to incorporate two of the state’s largest industries into their economic development efforts.”

The AFID planning grant program, funded annually at $250,000, was developed in 2012 to encourage local and regional governments to think strategically about how they can better support and integrate agriculture and forestry-based industries into their community’s overall economic development efforts. The planning grants are part of the larger Governor’s AFID program, an economic development tool specifically for agriculture and forestry value-added or processing projects. AFID economic development grants are available for political subdivisions of the Commonwealth interested in growing their agriculture and forestry industries by strategically targeting businesses that add value to Virginia grown agriculture and forestal products.

“Partnering with local governments to leverage their resources and innovative ideas on growing and supporting Virginia’s agriculture and forestry industries, like we do with our AFID program, is good policy;” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd P. Haymore. “From innovative facilities that preserve locally grown produce for sale throughout the year to recruiting a major new industry to Southside, the projects funded today highlight the innovation and diversity of Virginia agriculture. Benefits from allowing localities to explore and capitalize on these kinds of opportunities have the potential to be felt throughout the business chain, from the individual producer level to the value-adding enterprise."

Applications for AFID planning grants are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the fiscal year. Successful funding requests must show a clear need to be addressed, a solution to be undertaken, demonstrate strong support from local government and the agriculture and forestry community, and be able to match each dollar requested with a dollar of local government funds, or allowable in-kind contributions. Localities interested in applying may visit http://vdacs.virginia.gov/agribusiness/planning.shtml or contact Stephen Versen at stephen.versen@vdacs.virginia.gov or804.786.6911 for more information.

According to a 2013 economic impact study conducted by the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, agriculture and forestry are two of Virginia's largest industries, with a combined economic impact of $70 billion annually.  Agriculture generates more than $52 billion per annum, while forestry induces over $17 billion. The industries also provide more than 400,000 jobs in the Commonwealth.

Details on the three grant awards are below:

1.     Project Title:  Local Food Initiative

Applicant:      Franklin County

Award:           $15,000

Summary:      Franklin County is seeking an AFID Planning Grant to help Ferrum College implement a shared vision for making locally produced food a part of the County’s economic development strategy.  Included in the project is the operation of a flash freezer and storage freezer that will assist in furthering use of local food production.  This equipment will allow the College to double their purchases of local foods, increasing their local sourcing for campus food from an already impressive 30% to 60% from Virginia producers.  In 2012, Ferrum College’s Dining Services purchased $250,000 worth of product from local producers.  The roughly $100,000 project is also benefitting from $49,402 in Tobacco Commission funds.  The project will allow for at least one Full-Time Equivalent position on campus and provide additional access to local foods for their 1,500 primarily-residential students and 300 faculty and staff.  Ferrum is also working with Franklin County Public Schools on a pilot basis to provide fresh, local food to them as well.

2.     Project Title: Virginia Produced: A Light Processing and Flash Freezing Hub for Virginia-Grown Produce

Applicant:      City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County

Award:           $35,000

Summary:      This project will yield an actionable business plan for a flash freezing and light food processing hub, building on a feasibility study already completed by the Jefferson Area Board for Aging. The resulting business entity would source Albemarle County and Virginia-grown produce supplied by the Local Food Hub and distribute flash frozen bulk and retail packs and prepared meals to institutional customers such as the University of Virginia, Virginia Area Agencies on Aging, and specialty grocery retailers such as Whole Foods.  Growers stand to benefit through greater demand for their crops and exposure to new purchasers.  Local, wholesome food could be available year round for consumption by the local community.

3.     Project Title: Integrated Poultry Industry Feasibility Study

Applicant:      Pittsylvania County

Award:           $10,000

Summary:      To conduct an in-depth and independent feasibility study focused on attracting integrated poultry companies to Pittsylvania County.  The study will inventory which companies are considering expanding, how and where a poultry complex could be located, which attributes of an area are attractive to poultry companies, and how the county can enhance its profile and marketing strategies to lobby these poultry companies.  This feasibility study and the data it produces will be utilized to develop promotional pieces and to assist the county in the manner best suited to invite an integrator to Southern Virginia. 

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