Chief of Staff
John Littel
John Littel is the Chief of Staff for Governor Glenn Youngkin. Prior to this position, he served as Virginia’s Secretary of Health and Human Resources.
John brings 35 years of public policy and management experience to the Administration, having worked at both the federal and state levels, as well as in the private and non-profit sectors. John’s principal focus has been on health care, where he has developed private sector solutions for Medicaid, advocated for independent living for seniors and people with disabilities, and led mental health and substance use disorder programs. He has been a national advocate for improving services for people with disabilities and for reducing the stigma related to mental health.
Previously, during the Allen Administration, John served as the Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources. Since then, he has held senior roles at Magellan Health, Anthem, and Amerigroup. He has taught government, politics and communications at the graduate level, and has also served as a member of the William & Mary Public Policy Board of Advisors. John earned his bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Political Science from the University of Scranton and J.D. from The Columbus School of Law at Catholic University.
In 2012, John was appointed to the Board of Visitors for the College of William & Mary and served a record 12 years, including 4 years as rector. He also served on the board of The Gloucester Institute, a leadership initiative for African-American college students from 2007-2024 and as chair of the Virginia Health Care Foundation, as well as the boards of the Family and Children's Trust Fund, Virginia's family violence prevention agency, and ForKids, a program for homeless families in Hampton Roads.
He and his wife, Marianne, live in Virginia Beach and have three adult children.