RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam announced additional appointments to his Administration today.
Office of the Chief Workforce Development Advisor
Jane Dittmar, Deputy Chief Workforce Development Advisor
Jane Dittmar has been appointed Deputy Chief Workforce Development Advisor to the Governor. She has served as Senior Special Assistant to the Chief Workforce Development Advisor since March 2019. Prior to joining the Northam administration, Jane served as Chief of Staff for Delegate David Toscano. Previously, Jane chaired the Albemarle Board of Supervisors and is a founding Partner at Positive Solutions Group, a professional mediation firm. Jane was educated at the University of Virginia where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and at Virginia Tech where she earned a graduate certificate through the Center for Public Administration and Policy. She also maintains her certification through the Supreme Court of Virginia to practice mediation in both the Circuit and General District Courts in Virginia.
Secretariat of Health and Human Resources
Karen Kimsey, Director, Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services
Karen Kimsey has been appointed Director of the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS). Karen is an accomplished executive with over 24 years of public service with the state Medicaid program. Prior to her appointment, Karen served as Chief Deputy and Deputy Director of Complex Care and Services for DMAS. She led the successful development and launch of the new Medicaid Expansion benefit for low-income adults and the Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus program, the creation of a new addiction and treatment benefit for individuals with substance use disorders, the redesign and implementation of the system that serves individuals with developmental disabilities, and the launch of the Governor’s Access Plan to serve individuals with serious mental illness. Karen was awarded the Governor’s Agency Star Award by Governor McAuliffe in 2017. Karen holds Bachelor and Master of Social Work degrees as well as a Certificate in Aging Studies.
Secretariat of Public Safety and Homeland Security
Kemba Smith Pradia, Virginia Parole Board
Kemba Smith Pradia has been appointed to the Virginia Parole Board. Prior to her appointment, she held the position of State Advocacy Campaigns Director with the ACLU of Virginia. Kemba has been a national advocate and consultant in the criminal justice arena for over 20 years. She has worked with senior officials at The White House, the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, and Members of Congress, and has led trainings for federal and state probation organizations across the country. She has served on the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission since 2015. Kemba graduated from Virginia Union University with a Bachelor of Social Work degree and is a native of Richmond.
Lashawnda Singleton, Confidential Assistant, Virginia Department of Corrections
Lashawnda Singleton has been appointed Confidential Assistant at the Virginia Department of Corrections. She has served as Community Relations Specialist for the Restoration of Rights Division in the Secretariat of the Commonwealth since July 2015, first appointed by Governor McAuliffe and reappointed by Governor Northam in February 2018. She has previously worked with the Offender Aid and Restoration Organization of Richmond as a Re-Entry Program Facilitator at the Henrico County Jail and Pamunkey Regional Jail. Lashawnda received her Bachelor of Social Work degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Secretariat of the Commonwealth
Board Appointments
Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice and Prevention
Advisory Committee on Sexual and Domestic Violence
Board of Juvenile Justice
Board of Social Work
Board of Trustees of the A.L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Genedge Alliance)
Citizens’ Advisory Council on Furnishing and Interpreting the Executive Mansion
Data Sharing and Analytics Advisory Committee
Employment Service Organization Steering Committee
Milk Commission
Research and Technology Investment Advisory Committee
Southwest Virginia Energy Research and Development Authority
State Water Control Board
Virginia Commission for the Arts
*denotes reappointment
# # #