Virginia
Appointments of two key cabinet roles will trigger another special election in House District 17 – WTOP News
Rounding out key leadership roles as she prepares to take office, Virginia’s Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger has announced two new cabinet appointments.
This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury.
Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger on Tuesday announced two additional cabinet appointments, tapping longtime Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax, to serve as Virginia’s next secretary of finance and public administrator Traci Deshazor as her secretary of administration, rounding out key leadership roles as she prepares to take office.
Sickles’ departure from the state legislature will also trigger a special election in the strongly Democratic House District 17, a seat that includes parts of Fairfax County, before the General Assembly is set to convene for its 2026 session next month.
Spanberger said Sickles, a senior budget writer in the House of Delegates, will bring deep fiscal expertise and a bipartisan approach to managing the state’s finances. Deshazor, a Danville native with experience across local, state and federal government, will oversee core administrative functions ranging from elections to workforce support.
“The secretary of finance plays an essential role in guaranteeing Virginia’s long-term economic strength, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, and addressing the challenges facing Virginia communities,” Spanberger said in a statement.
She pointed to Sickles’ role as vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee and said he has worked with lawmakers of both parties to pass budgets that offered tax relief for families while supporting economic growth.
Spanberger said Sickles shares her commitment to fiscal responsibility and to ensuring taxpayer dollars are used effectively, adding that she expects him to be a key partner in her administration’s efforts to lower costs for families and secure Virginia’s long-term financial footing.
Sickles, who is completing his 22nd year representing parts of South Fairfax County, said he is looking forward to assisting Spanberger as she works to make life in Virginia more affordable.
He said the administration must deliver results for families, young people and seniors by building budgets that reflect shared values and reduce the cost of living.
“We need to make sure every tax dollar is employed to its greatest effect for hard-working Virginians,” Sickles said, citing priorities such as keeping tuition low, expanding affordable housing, ensuring teachers are properly compensated and making quality health care accessible and affordable.
Sickles is widely known in Richmond for his influence over health and human services spending. Since 2004, he has served on — and chaired — the House Health and Human Services Committee. He joined the Appropriations Committee in 2014 and currently chairs its Health and Human Resources Subcommittee.
He has also played a central role in budget negotiations, having been appointed to the House-Senate budget conference committee in 2018 and reappointed each year since by successive House speakers.
Sickles currently chairs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission and serves on several other influential panels, including the Major Employment Investment Commission, the Joint Commission on Health Care and the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Revenue Estimates.
Over his legislative career, Sickles has helped shepherd major policy changes through the General Assembly, including the transition from the federal health insurance marketplace to the Virginia Health Insurance Exchange, election administration reforms, legalization of sports betting and the creation of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority.
He has also championed investments in libraries, endangered species protection and bioscience initiatives, and is the patron of a pending constitutional amendment to protect marriage equality for LGBTQ Virginians.
Alongside Sickles’ appointment, Spanberger named Deshazor as her secretary of administration, a role responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations that underpin state government.
She described Deshazor as a knowledgeable leader focused on making government work better for people at both the state and local levels.
Deshazor said her career has been centered on ensuring public institutions are effective and results-driven, and she emphasized the importance of administration as the foundation of good governance.
“I will bring a people-first, outcomes-driven approach to strengthening Virginia’s operations, promoting transparency, and strengthening trust in government,” Deshazor said.
Deshazor brings experience from multiple levels of government.
Most recently, as the deputy chief administrative officer for human services in Richmond, she oversaw a six-agency portfolio with more than 1,000 employees. During that time, she helped create a new Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, launched offices focused on homelessness and community services, and established a community resource and training center.
She also served concurrently as the city’s first chief equity officer.
At the state level, Deshazor previously served as deputy secretary of the commonwealth under Govs. Ralph Northam and Terry McAuliffe, supervising teams responsible for core constitutional and administrative functions.
In that role, she supported clemency efforts and contributed to actions restoring civil and voting rights to more than 300,000 Virginians and to the granting of thousands of pardons and sentence computations.
Earlier in her career, she represented Virginia as deputy director of intergovernmental affairs, working with Congress, the White House and federal agencies.
A graduate of programs at the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Yale University, Virginia Tech and Hollins University, Deshazor lives in Richmond with her husband and said she remains committed to serving the commonwealth she has always called home.
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – Flu cases are climbing across Virginia, reaching some of the highest levels the commonwealth has seen in years.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, over 21% of all emergency department visits in the northwest region this flu season were for respiratory illnesses. Rachel Dumene, spokesperson for the Central Shenandoah Health District, said while viruses can mutate and cause symptoms that are more severe, she said the challenge this year is how fast the flu is spreading.
“Sometimes they can mutate to create new symptoms or become more severe. However, that’s not what we’re seeing this year,” Dumene said. “This is a pretty average flu. However, the thing that’s different about it is that it’s spreading at a more rapid pace.“
That faster spread is leading to more infections overall, and more people experiencing serious symptoms. Children make up the largest share of flu-related emergency room visits in the region, which is why Dumene said vaccination remains one of the best tools to keep people out of the hospital.
“Even though this flu virus seems to be spreading at a higher rate than previous years, the flu vaccine still helps prevent against severe illness,” she said. “It is possible that people who get vaccinated can still get the flu. However, this can keep them from experiencing very negative consequences or having to go to the emergency room.”
It’s still not too late to get vaccinated, Dumene said. Protection develops about two weeks after the shot, and peak flu season often doesn’t arrive until February. She also recommended washing hands frequently, covering coughs and sneezes and staying home when sick to slow the spread.
What hospitals are seeing
Augusta Health Public Relations Manager Kristen Printy said regional hospitals and emergency medical services are working together to manage a seasonal increase in patients to make sure people across the region receive the care they need.
“This season has brought an increase in patients, and it’s important that hospitals and EMS agencies continue to work closely together,” said Crystal Farmer, MBA, MSN, RN, FACHE, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Augusta Health. “By coordinating our efforts, we can help ensure patients get the right care, in the right place, at the right time, even when demand is higher.”
Robert Garwood, VP, Chief Medical Officer Sentara RMH Medical Center said increased ER volume secondary of the flu has translated into increased hospital admissions of these patients.
“The current flu vaccine does not cover the strain that’s circulating throughout our area really well, which has resulted in patients with some significant illness. This is again translated to increase hospital patient censuses and less bed availability, which also impacts our ED,” Garwood said.
Augusta Health added that people should always seek emergency care for serious or life-threatening conditions. For less urgent needs, people are encouraged to consider primary care, urgent care, or telehealth options when appropriate.
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The Virginia Cavaliers clinched yet another conference win last night, this time against California. Overall, this has been a remarkable season for the Cavaliers thus far, with few hiccups along the way. Their latest victory came with a stunning 84-60 finish, but as the story goes, there are still areas that need attention. With that, let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of last night’s meeting.
The Good
The Cavaliers are undoubtedly more consistent on offense — they’ve encountered quite a few challenges defensively. However, last night appeared to be a bit of a turning point, said cautiously. The Golden Bears’ efforts with the ball were met with great resistance from UVA. Malik Thomas, in particular, has made strides on both sides of the ball, but his defensive improvements have been noteworthy. As head coach Ryan Odom stated during his postgame press conference:
“… I thought our guys did a nice job. The discipline was there for the majority of the night. They did get us on occasion, not on occasion, probably too many times at the end of drives with shot fakes, but for the most part, in that first 10 minutes of the second half, we were able to stop them in and around the rim and stay down. And they were kind of left with some really hard shots there, which allowed us to get out in transition. I thought our press was pretty good. Even though we didn’t get a lot of turnovers or anything like that, I thought our press, you know, was effective.”
The Bad
Although Virginia wrapped up the matchup with a 24-point lead, there were moments throughout the night in which leads were swapped between programs in the first quarter. Once the second half rolled around, the Golden Bears were unable to catch up. However, the brief moments that they did control the scoreboard could have cost UVA the game, and ultimately, another loss in the ACC.
“I’m not worried about the margin,” said Odom. “It’s more about how we’re playing. And I thought our guys played well tonight, you know, defensively, we’re trying to make strides. We’re trying to get better. The guys are focused on that. Offensively, we can’t lose that, you know, ability to really share the ball and put pressure on our opponents. And I think we’re improving.”
The Ugly
Much of the back-and-forth lead during the first quarter was due to Cal’s pressure. Their defense stayed on top of UVA, which ruffled some of the Cavaliers’ feathers on the court, forcing some turnovers along the way.
Odom described this situation by stating, “Cal was really bothering us with their defense, their aggressiveness, and stepping out and pick and roll, even though we didn’t have a ton of turnovers in that first half. We had five. There were still some bobbled balls. The ball was loose and a little bit too loose for us. And their pressure had a lot to do with that. The end of the half was really important for us, the execution on defense and offense to give us a little bit of a cushion there going into halftime.”
Virginia certainly encountered some difficulty last night, but it wasn’t anything they couldn’t successfully navigate. Now, the Cavaliers are gearing up for their upcoming matchup against Stanford on Jan. 10 at John Paul Jones Arena. Will UVA capitalize on its opportunity to extend its ACC record to 3-1?
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Freshman guard Ebuka Okorie lifted Stanford over Virginia Tech with a game-winning, step-back 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left to give the Cardinal a 69-68 win at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia, on Jan. 7.
Okorie sized up his defender, Virginia Tech freshman Neoklis Avdalas of Greece, before getting into his sweet spot and rising up.
Okorie scored 31 points, going 11-for-18 from the floor with four 3-pointers, including the go-ahead bucket. His four made from long-distance tied a collegiate career-high. He added six assists and had only one turnover.
Virginia Tech led 31-24 at the end of the first half. However, Stanford came out of the second half and switched gears. The Hokies were outscored in the second half 45-37.
Virginia Tech was led by Avdalas with 21 points. Hokies sophomore guard Ben Hammond scored 14 points off the bench.
Chisom Okpara had an off night for Stanford, scoring just four points on 1-of-11 shooting, but still the Cardinal would get some help in the scoring department from Donavin Young and Oskar Giltay, who chipped in with 11 and eight points, respectively.
Stanford continues its road trip with a visit to No. 23 Virginia on Saturday, Jan. 10. Virginia Tech has a home game Saturday against California.
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