Virginia Governor's Cabinet


The Virginia Governor's Cabinet is a body of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the government of Virginia. The Cabinet is responsible for advising the Governor of Virginia. Cabinet officers are nominated by the Governor and then presented to the Virginia General Assembly for confirmation. Once confirmed, all members of the Cabinet receive the title "Secretary" and serve at the pleasure of the Governor.
The current Cabinet is serving under Governor of Virginia Ralph Northam.

In General

Appointment

Each Cabinet Secretary is appointed by the Governor of Virginia, subject to confirmation by the Virginia General Assembly if in session when the appointment is made. If the General Assembly is not in session, then the appointment is acted on by the General Assembly at its next succeeding session. Each Secretary is appointed for a four-year term but may be removed at any time by the Governor. Before discharging their duties, each Secretary must take an oath to faithfully execute the duties of their office.

Powers and Duties

Each Cabinet Secretary is subject to direction and supervision by the Governor. All agencies assigned to each Secretary exercise their powers and duties in accordance with the general policy established by the Secretary acting on behalf of the Governor. Each Secretary has the power to resolve administrative, jurisdictional, operational, program, or policy conflicts between agencies or officials assigned to them, oversees and directs the formulation of program budgets for their assigned agencies, is responsible for holding their assigned agency heads accountable for their actions, and directs the development of goals, objectives, policies and plans for their assigned agencies.

Composition

The Governor's Cabinet is composed of the following officers, listed with the agencies they supervise:
Currently, no Cabinet Secretary positions are vacant. The current Cabinet, serving under Governor of Virginia Ralph Northam, is as follows:
OfficeIncumbent
Secretary of the CommonwealthKelly Thomasson
Secretary of AdministrationKeyanna Conner
Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and ForestryBettina Ring
Secretary of Commerce and TradeBrian Ball
Secretary of EducationAtif Qarni
Secretary of FinanceAubrey Layne
Secretary of Health and Human ResourcesDaniel Carey
Secretary of Natural ResourcesMatt Strickler
Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland SecurityBrian Moran
Secretary of TransportationShannon Valentine
Secretary of Veterans and Defense AffairsCarlos Hopkins