Governor McDonnell Announces Board Appointments and Additional Appointments to Administration

RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell today announced additional appointments to his administration under the Commerce and Trade, Finance, Natural Resources and Public Safety secretariats.  McDonnell announced appointments to two boards of visitors: Old Dominion University and Radford University.  He also announced appointments to 13 other Virginia boards and commissions. 

Further announcements regarding additional appointments in the McDonnell Administration will continue to be made in the months ahead. 

Commerce and Trade 

Stephanie L. Hamlett, Executive Director, Virginia Resources Authority

Stephanie Hamlett is Deputy Counselor to the Governor.  In that capacity she provides advice to the Chief of Staff and Counsel and Senior Advisor to the Governor on a wide range of topics. Prior to her current position, she served as Senior Counsel to the Attorney General. In that capacity, Hamlett was responsible for the formal opinions process (including conflict of interest opinions) within the Office of the Attorney General and she provided assistance to the Chief Deputy with special projects as assigned. Hamlett also served as issuer's counsel on most debt issues of the Commonwealth and worked on special projects related to budget and finance matters.  Prior to her current that role, Hamlett was a Deputy Attorney General and Special Counsel to the Attorney General and Opinions Chief (under Attorney General Kilgore) and before becoming Special Counsel, Hamlett was an Assistant Attorney General in the financial services section representing a variety of state agencies, including the Virginia Retirement System, the Virginia Port Authority, the Virginia College Savings Plan, the Virginia Public School Authority and the Virginia Public Building Authority in financial and investment-related matters.  She also served as counsel to the Virginia Department of Taxation. 

 In the private practice of law, she specialized in tax, bond and business issues. She is the former Executive Director and General Counsel of Virginia's Heartland Partnership, Inc., a cooperative economic development effort by the counties of Amelia, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Lunenburg and Prince Edward. From 1996 to 1999, she served at Legislative Services as staff counsel to the House Finance Committee and House Appropriations Committee. She has also served as an associate in the public finance section of McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe, L.L.P. 

A graduate of Mary Washington College, Hamlett received her law degree from the University of Richmond's T. C. Williams School of Law, where she was elected to the Law Review. She also earned a Masters in tax law from the College of William and Mary's Marshall-Wythe School of Law.  Hamlett also completed the Virginia Institute of Economic Development in 2000.

 Finance 

Manju Ganeriwala*, State Treasurer

Manju Ganeriwala was appointed State Treasurer in January 2009.  As Treasurer, she oversees the investment of over $9 billion in public funds; management of over $15 billion in debt; issuance of bonds; provision of banking services; and administration of the state's insurance and unclaimed property programs. Ganeriwala also serves as the Chairwoman of the Treasury Board, and is a member of ten other boards including, the Virginia College Savings Plan, Virginia Housing Development Authority, Virginia Port Authority, and the Virginia Resources Authority. 

Ganeriwala has more than 28 years of experience in the public and private sectors.  Prior to her appointment as Treasurer, she served as Deputy Secretary of Finance from January 2006 through December 2008.  Ganeriwala's service to the Commonwealth includes her leadership role with the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services where she served as the agency's Chief Financial Officer for six years.  She also served in leadership positions at the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget where she was an Associate Director for eight years and a Senior Analyst for six years advising on policy, fiscal, and legislative issues.  Her experience also includes strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions analysis, and long-range forecasting for the East Ohio Gas Company in Cleveland. 

Ganeriwala holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Bombay and a Master's in Business Administration degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She is the 2009 recipient of the YWCA's Outstanding Women Award (Government).  Ganeriwala currently serves as the Southern Regional Vice President of the National Association of State Treasurers.  A resident of Virginia since 1983, she resides in Henrico County.  She and her husband Suri have two sons. 

Neil Miller, Deputy Secretary of Finance

Neil Miller formerly worked at the law firm of DLA Piper LLP (US).  DLA Piper is one of the largest legal service providers in the world, composed of over 3,500 lawyers in more than 65 offices in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States.  Neil's practice focused in the area of corporate, finance and securities law, including public and private securities offerings, federal and state regulatory compliance, financial statement reviews and other general corporate governance matters.  In particular, Neil concentrated his practice in the area of real estate capital markets and his practice ranged from working with small companies to develop their business plans and investment objectives to assisting large public companies raise billions of dollars in public capital. 

From 2001-2005, Neil Miller served as an attorney-advisor in the Division of Corporation Finance at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.  While there, he served on the shareholder proposal taskforce and reviewed domestic and foreign public equity and debt offerings, mergers and other complex financing transactions.  At the same time, Neil assisted public companies implement and comply with Sarbanes-Oxley and the SEC rules and regulations requiring fair and balanced disclosures for public investors.  From 2000-2001 and while attending Georgetown Law at night to earn an advanced degree, Neil worked in the Office of Internet Enforcement of the Division of Enforcement at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.  During his time in the Division of Enforcement, Neil investigated financial fraud, participated in gathering evidence and witness testimony and assisted administering the SEC's Early Intervention Program. 

In 2001, he graduated with distinction from the Georgetown University Law Center with a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Securities and Financial Regulation.  In 2000, Neil received his law degree (J.D.) from the Villanova University School of Law, and in 1997, he received dual Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degrees in Finance and Risk Management/Insurance.  During college and for more many years growing up, Neil also worked for his family's small business, Reliatex, Inc., which is an upholstery wholesale supplier. 

Robert S. Young*, Deputy State Treasurer, Department of the Treasury

Robert S. Young has served as the Deputy State Treasurer since 2006.  In this capacity, he serves as the chief operating officer of the Department of the Treasury and is responsible for the day-to-day management, coordination, strategic planning and direction of all activities of the Department in concert with the State Treasurer.  He has been with the Department for 26 years and with the Commonwealth of Virginia for 29 years.  Prior to coming to the Department, he worked with the Department of Accounts as the Manager of Accounting and Reporting, with several large Virginia banks on the controller's staff and as an auditor with Ernst and Young.  He is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a B.S. degree in Accounting and is a Certified Cash Manager.  He currently serves as the President of the Virginia Executive Institute Alumni Association, a member of the CVC Advisory Council for the Finance Secretariat and as the Treasurer's delegate to the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority. 

Natural Resources 

Anthony Moore, Assistant Secretary for Chesapeake Bay Restoration

Anthony Moore was appointed to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency as a Senior Policy Advisor for the Office of Water in February 2003.  In this position he helped to develop innovative and sustainable market based programs to protect and restore our environmental resources and managed the legislative affairs for the Office. 

Prior to serving at the EPA, Anthony served as the Director of Policy for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality from 2000 to 2002 where he managed the legislative, regulatory, public affairs, and constituent service activities for the department.  He was appointed Assistant Secretary of Natural Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1998 where he worked with agencies to protect and restore our natural resources. 

Anthony worked as a Chemist for Dominion Power for 15 years.  He is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and is a native of Richmond. 

Public Safety 

Mark Gooch, Chief Deputy, Department of Juvenile Justice

After retiring from the Hanover Sheriff's Department with 20 years of service Mark Gooch served as the Superintendent of the Pamunkey Regional Jail from 1999 until he retired in 2006.  As the superintendent, Gooch was responsible for the planning and directing of the security and administrative functions of the jail and for program development for the 450-bed facility.  As the superintendent of the Pamunkey Regional Jail he was instrumental in developing programs to improve the chances of successful re-entry for those incarcerated at his facility.  He utilized local businesses, faith-based groups, and financial institutions to conduct life skills training to include managing money, job search and interview techniques, parenting classes and substance abuse counseling at the facility.  

In 2006, he became the Regional General Manager for ARAMARK Corporation in their corrections division.  His responsibilities included supervision of staff, strategic planning, and maintaining effective customer service. Gooch has extensive management experience dealing with personnel issues and budgets. 

Gail D. Jaspen*, Chief Deputy Director, Department of Forensic Science

Gail Jaspen has served as Chief Deputy Director of the Department of Forensic Science, first appointed in August 2008.  Previously she served as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, Chief Deputy Director of the Department of Health Professions and Deputy Counselor and Special Policy Assistant. 

A 1981 graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law, Jaspen practiced law in the private sector for five years.  Her practice, as Counsel with Reed Smith Hazel & Thomas, focused principally on administrative law and government relations, drawing on her preceding 15 years of experience with the Virginia Attorney General's Office.  There, she had served as an Investigator and Assistant Attorney General in the Antitrust & Consumer Litigation Section and, later, as a Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Insurance and Utilities Section. 

Among her responsibilities as Chief Deputy Director at DFS, Jaspen works closely with the department's Forensic Science Board and Scientific Advisory Committee, the Secretary of Public Safety, the Attorney General's Office, and legislative committees. 

In addition to her Juris Doctor degree, Jaspen holds a Master's degree from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo, both in speech communication disorders.  She was a public school speech pathologist in Richmond City Schools before entering law school. 

Board Appointments 

Board of Visitors: 

Board of Visitors, Old Dominion University

• Jeffrey W. Ainslie of Virginia Beach, President of the Ainslie Group
• Dee D. Gilmore of Chesapeake, Chief of Staff for Congressman J. Randy Forbes
• Luke M. Hillier of Virginia Beach, Chief Executive Officer/Chairman of ADF, Inc.
• Marc Jacobson* of Norfolk, Retired Norfolk Circuit Court Judge
• Fred J. Whyte of Virginia Beach, President of Stihl, Inc. 

Board of Visitors, Radford University

• Stephan Q. Cassaday of Great Falls, President of Cassaday and Company, Inc.
• Milton C. Johns of Gainesville, Partner with Day and Johns, PLLC
• Wendy Tepper of Forest, Trustee and Member of the Board of Directors- Delta Star, Inc.
• Linda Kaye Whitley-Taylor* of Virginia Beach, Executive Vice President of Human Resources for Amerigroup 

Additional Board Appointments: 

Board of Housing and Community Development

• John W. Ainslie, Jr. of Virginia Beach, President of Ainslie Group, Inc.
• Ronald Boothe of Salem, Vice President, Secretary and General Manager of Boone Homes, Inc.
• Tito A. Munoz of Dale City, Owner and President of DeBorn Construction, Inc. 

Board of Psychology

• Jan D. Hembree Ph.D., of Virginia Beach, Clinical Psychologist - Jan D. Hembree PhD PC 

Board of Towing and Recovery Operators

• Richard Metz of Concord, Safety Director of Thompson Trucking  

Board of Veterinary Medicine

• Constance Pozniak of Virginia Beach, President and Chief of Staff of Boulevard Veterinary Hospital of Virginia, PC 

Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Board of Trustees

• Juliann J. Clemente of McLean, President of Clemente Development Company, Inc.
• Paul D. Koonce of Richmond, Chief Executive Officer of Dominion Virginia Power
• Fred D. Thompson, Jr. of Ashburn, Chief Administrative Officer of Thompson Hospitality 

New College Institute Board of Directors

• John F. Edelen, Jr. of Martinsville, Vice President of J.G. Edelen Company, Inc.
• George Lyle* of Martinsville, County Attorney for Henry County 

Real Estate Board

• Sandee Ferebee of Norfolk, Retired Chairman Emeritus of  Prudential Towne Realty
• Joe Funkhouser of Harrisonburg, President of Funkhouser and Associates, Inc.
• Jorge G. Lozano of Annandale, CEO and President of Condortech Services, Inc. 

Southeastern Public Service Authority

• Page Johnson of Virginia Beach, President and Owner of Harmony Hospitality, Inc. 

State Air Pollution Control Board

• Roger L. Chaffe of Midlothian, Retired Senior Assistant Attorney General
• Jo Anne Scott Webb of Midlothian, President and General Manager of Scott Pallets, Inc. 

Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission

• Gayle F. Barts of Sutherlin, Partner-Barts Enterprises, Inc.
• David R. Cundiff of Penhook, Owner of One Creek Farm
• Burgess "Butch" Hamlet of Bassett, Consultant, Former President and CEO of Southprint, Inc.
• Scott M. Harwood of Farmville, CEO of SMH, LTD
• H. Ronnie Montgomery of Jonesville, Attorney and Farmer
• Connie Nyholm* of Alton, Managing Partner-Virginia International Raceway
• Israel O'Quinn of Bristol, Director of Government and Community Affairs for K-VA-T Food Stores
• John M. Stallard of Nickelsville, Beef Cattle and Tobacco Farmer
• Cindy M. Thomas of South Hill, Area Executive for First Citizens Bank 

Virginia Horse Industry Board

• Dr. Harold C. McKenzie III, DMV of Leesburg, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Marion DuPont Scott-Equine Medical Center. 

Volunteer Firefighters' and Rescue Squad Workers' Service Award Fund Board

• Jeff Flippo of Leesburg, Retired Chief Fire Marshall of Loudoun County
• Jack F. Morgan* of Rustburg, Captain- Campbell County Rescue Squad 

*Denotes re-appointment

# # #