Seal of the Governor
For Immediate Release: December 18, 2020
Contacts: Office of the Governor: Alenaa Yarmosky, Alena.Yarmosky@governor.virginia.gov

Governor Northam Announces Administration Appointments

RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam announced additional appointments to his Administration today.

Office of the Governor

Alena Yarmosky, Senior Communications Advisor
Alena Yarmosky has been appointed Senior Communications Advisor and will continue to serve as Press Secretary, a role she has held since December 2018. Previously, she served as Director of Communications and Advocacy for NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia and has worked as a communications consultant on a variety of policy initiatives. Alena earned a Master of Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Marissa Astor, Deputy Press Secretary
Marissa Astor has been appointed Deputy Press Secretary. She has served as Assistant Communications Director since April 2018. Prior to this appointment, she worked for several political and progressive issue campaigns, including roles in communications and surrogate operations. Marissa is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Psychology.

Secretariat of the Commonwealth
Board Appointments

Board of Trustees of the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center

  • Steve Ahn* of Damascus, High School Science Teacher, Washington County Public Schools
  • Hannah Ingram* of Abingdon, Company Member, Mount Rogers Adult Education Program and Barter Theatre
  • Lennie Gail Mitcham of Abingdon, Executive Director, The Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing, Inc.

Education Commission of the States

  • Fran Bradford of Richmond, Deputy Secretary of Education, Office of Governor Ralph Northam
  • Dr. John B. Gordon III of Suffolk, Division Superintendent, Suffolk Public Schools

State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind and Vision Impaired

  • Alexa Bowe of Newport News, Operations Research Analyst, United States Department of the Army
  • Annette Hyde of Madison, Yoga Teacher, Culpeper Wellness Foundation
  • Prem Jadhwani of Leesburg, CEO and President, Intellectual Point
  • Edna E. Johnson of Alexandria, Disability and Reasonable Accommodation Program Manager, United States Department of Defense
  • Liang Liao of Richmond, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired
  • Ricardo Lizama of Arlington, Accountant, Edison Electric Institute
  • Marianne Moore of Chesterfield, Specialist, Virginia Department of Education
  • Chanthen Nene of Manassas, Student, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Milford J. Stern of Roanoke, Voluntary Protection Programs Manager, Virginia Department of Labor and Industry

Virginia Coal and Energy Commission

  • Barbara F. Altizer* of Jewell Ridge, Executive Director, Education and Outreach, Metallurgical Coal Producers Association
  • Joshua Ball of Abingdon, Operations Superintendent, CNX Resources Corporation
  • Felix Tapawan Garcia of Richmond, Founder and CEO, AgriSunPower LLC
  • Harrison T. Godfrey of Reston, Executive Director, Virginia Advanced Energy Economy
  • Cale Jaffe of Charlottesville, Associate Professor of Law, University of Virginia and Director, Environmental Law and Community Engagement Clinic
  • Donald Ratliff* of Big Stone Gap, President, Commonwealth Connections, Inc.
  • The Honorable Charles A. Stacy of Tazewell, Attorney and Chair, Tazewell County Board of Supervisors

Virginia Interagency Coordinating Council

  • Tabatha Carroll* of Chesapeake, Disability Advocate
  • Catherine C. Childers* of Blacksburg, Pre-Award Budget Specialist, Office of Sponsored Programs, Virginia Tech
  • Penni Crist* of Waynesboro, Community Resource Coordinator, Blue Ridge Care Connection for Children
  • Wyvonnie V. Harsley* of Lorton, Certified Public Manager
  • Kristen Heinan, MD of Charlottesville, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Neurology, University of Virginia
  • Elizabeth “Lissy” John* of Falls Church, Chief of Staff, McKinsey & Company
  • Jennifer MacRae* of Hinton, Education Coordinator, Region 5 Training and Technical Assistance Center, Virginia Department of Education
  • Jean Odachowski* of Martinsville, Regional Director, Family Preservation Services, Inc.
  • Courtney Pugh* of Salem, Owner and Consultant, 4 PEAKS Educational Consulting, LLC
  • Jaylene Trueblood* of Chesapeake, Local System Manager, Infant and Toddler Connection of Chesapeake, Chesapeake Integrated Behavioral Healthcare
  • Lynn Wolfe* of Williamsburg, Local System Manager, Infant and Toddler Connection of Williamsburg, James City County, York, and Poquoson and Director, Infant and Parent Program, Child Development Resources

*denotes reappointment

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