What’s new: Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger, who will be sworn in as governor on January 17, continues to announce members of her administration, including individuals in key roles with oversight over long term care issues at VDH and DSS.

Commissioner of Health: Cameron Webb, MD, JD will lead the Virginia Department of Health (VDH).

• Webb is currently an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, with courtesy appointments in the Department of Public Health Sciences and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.
• He is a hospitalist and longtime advocate for equity in healthcare.

Commissioner of the Department of Social Services: S. Duke Storen will lead the agency with oversight of assisted living facilities.

• Storen previously served as DSS Commissioner under Gov. Ralph Northam.
• His experience includes serving as chief of staff at the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Services and leadership roles at the national not-for-profit Share Our Strength, as well as IT companies providing solutions in health and human services.

Secretary of Finance:  Del. Mark Sickles will serve as Virginia’s next Secretary of Finance with responsibility for the Commonwealth’s financial operations, managing budgets, forecasting revenue, and more to ensure fiscal health and responsible spending.

• Sickles is an experienced legislator who has served on, and chaired, the House Health and Human Services Committee. Additionally, he has served on Appropriations Committee and chaired the Health and Human Resources subcommittee overseeing the Medicaid budget.

Secretary of Health and Human Resources: Marvin Figueroa will lead the HHR Secretariat, which oversees 12 state agencies including DMAS, DSS, and VDH.

• Figueroa has extensive experience in health policy. At the state level, he served as deputy secretary of Health and Human Resources and legislative director in Virginia under Gov. Ralph Northam. He also was a senior policy advisory to Sen. Mark Warner and was director of intergovernmental and external affairs at the US Department of Health and Human Services in the Biden Administration.

VHCA-VCAL congratulates these new leaders and looks forward to working with them in their new roles.