Explore the opportunities that exist for fellows in all areas of the Governor's administration.
The Secretary of Administration oversees four state agencies. Those agencies are: The Compensation Board, the Department of General Services, the Department of Human Resource Management, and the Department of Elections. The Compensation Board reviews and approves annual budgets submitted by constitutional officers and reimburses localities for the state's share of authorized salaries and expenses of constitutional officers and their employees. The Department of General Services is an intra-governmental service organization that administers the capital outlay budget; it provides services to state agencies and local government such as procurement and fleet services. The Department of Human Resource Management is the central state agency responsible for administering, developing, and overseeing the state's human resource management system. Areas specifically included are: compensation and policy, equal employment, health benefits, workers' compensation, employee information, and training. The Department of Elections coordinates and supervises the work of local electoral boards, registrars, and election officials to obtain uniformity in practices and proceedings in all elections.
The Secretariat of Agriculture and Forestry is the voice of two of Virginia’s largest industries that have a combined economic impact of $70 billion annually and provide nearly 415,000 jobs in the Commonwealth. The Secretariat of Agriculture and Forestry oversees the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) and the Virginia Racing Commission (VRC). With strategic focus areas including the craft beverage industries, agricultural biotechnology, and economic development, the Secretariat of Agriculture and Forestry works to further the Governor’s goal of becoming the East Coast capital for agricultural and forestry exports. Our Fellows help us perform multiple tasks, including constituent correspondence, research, report and press release drafting and event management.
The Secretary of the Commonwealth is part of the Governor’s Cabinet. One of the functions of our office is to assist the Governor in his appointments of nearly 4,000 individuals to serve on Virginia's boards and commissions. The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office also serves the Commonwealth through restoration of civil rights, managing extraditions, clemency petitions, service of process, authenticating foreign adoption documents, certifying notary publics, handling lobbyist registration and disclosures and conflict of interest filings. The Secretary acts as the Governor’s liaison to Virginia’s Indian Tribes, as well as an ex-officio member of the Council on Women.
The Secretary of Commerce and Trade oversees the economic, community and workforce development of the Commonwealth. Each of the 13 Commerce and Trade Agencies actively contributes to Virginia's economic health and high quality of life. The Commonwealth of Virginia was founded as a business venture more than 400 years ago, and is blessed with many assets. The primary job of the Secretariat of Commerce and Trade is to make sure we utilize these assets to help Virginia sustain its position as the preeminent place to live, work and conduct business. Fellows will assist the Secretary's advisors with a variety of projects within their respective fields of expertise.
The Governor's Office of Constituent Services and Community Engagement facilitates communication between constituents and the Governor, processes requests for proclamations and other commemorative documents such as birthday letters, scouts honors, military retirements and more. The office also manages flag and other protocol related requests.
The Governor’s Policy Office works closely with stakeholders, constituents, legislators and state and local government agencies to develop policy initiatives in support of the Governor's agenda. The Policy staff is comprised of seven individuals who serve as the Governor’s advisors on a variety of different Policy Areas. Each member of the Policy staff is assigned a secretariat in the Governor’s administration in which he/she oversees.
The Secretariat of Education provides guidance to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) and The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), as well as Virginia’s 16 public colleges and universities, 23 community colleges and five higher education and research centers. The Secretariat also provides support to seven state-funded arts/cultural institutions. Working with the Governor, the General Assembly and stakeholders, we aim to eradicate the Achievement Gap, promote great teaching and learning, and help strengthen pathways to the 21st Century Workforce. By working with the different members of our team, our Governor’s Fellows are presented with a wide range of education policies and are encouraged to dig deep into the issues. Our Fellows are an invaluable part of our office and assist us on a variety of tasks, including policy work, individualized projects, event planning and staffing, constituent services, and social media usage.
The Secretary of Health and Human Resources oversees twelve state agencies that provide Virginians with access to critical services including health and long-term care, treatment for mental illnesses and substance use disorders, public health, children’s services, rehabilitation for people with physical disabilities and community-based care for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Agencies within the Secretariat account for more than 25 percent of the total state’s budget and serve more than one million Virginians annually through a combination of public and private providers.
The Lieutenant Governor serves as President of the Senate and presides over the Senate when they are in session. The Constitution of Virginia also provides that the Lieutenant Governor is first in the line of succession to Governor. In addition to these Constitutional responsibilities, the Code of Virginia provides that the Lieutenant Governor shall serve as a member of several other state boards, commissions and councils, including the Board of Trustees of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and the Center for Rural Virginia; the Board of Directors of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Virginia Tourism Authority; the Virginia Military Advisory Council, the Commonwealth Preparedness Council and the Council on Virginia's Future.
The Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources advises the Governor on natural resources issues and works to advance the Governor's top environmental priorities. The Secretary oversees five agencies that protect and restore the Commonwealth’s natural and historic resources. The Secretary's office and all of the natural resources agencies work together to uphold the provisions of Article XI of the Virginia Constitution.
The Secretariat of Public Safety and Homeland Security is comprised of eleven public safety agencies that help enhance the quality of Virginia’s citizens, visitors and businesses of the Commonwealth through public awareness, education, training, emergency response, disaster preparedness, prevention, policy development, enforcement, response, recovery and reentry.
The Secretariat also assists the Governor in the development and implementation of public safety and homeland security policies. The Secretariat supports the Governor’s strategic priorities through four established pillars of interagency collaboration: All-Hazards Emergency Response, Reducing Recidivism, Preventing Gun Violence, and Smart Policing.
The Governor’s Scheduling Office is responsible for managing and coordinating the Governor’s daily schedule. Scheduling staff work with every Secretariat, the Policy and Communications offices, elected officials, and external groups to plan the Governor’s calendar. Staff reviews every invitation for the Governor to attend an event or meeting, considers the Governor’s priorities, and responds accordingly to generate his schedule. Staff prepares daily briefings to inform the Governor about each and every meeting or event that he attends. Fellows will be an essential component of generating the Governor’s daily schedule and working with members of the administration to prepare daily briefings.
In 2021, Suzanne S. Youngkin joined her husband on the campaign trail traversing the entirety of the Commonwealth while also leading Women for Glenn (W4G) – a coalition that grew to include more than 27,000 women across Virginia.
In addition to visiting small businesses and nonprofits, the First Lady joined her husband in listening to the concerns of Virginians and promoting a lower cost of living, improved education for Virginia’s children, safe communities and unity among Virginians.
In 2020, the Governor and Mrs. Youngkin founded the Virginia Ready Initiative (VA Ready), a nonprofit organization established in response to the economic hardships created by COVID-19. The organization marries Virginia’s top businesses with VA Community Colleges and financial incentives to retrain and equip Virginians for careers in high-demand sectors.
Mrs. Youngkin currently serves as President of the Phos Foundation, a private, charitable foundation, and is the founder of Normandy Farm LLC, an equine training facility located in Great Falls, VA. She has served on the advisory council at Virginia Tech’s Marion DuPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Virginia and on the Board of Directors of the Shakespeare Theatre Company and is Director Emeritus of Meadowkirk at Delta Farm Retreat Center in Middleburg, Virginia.
Governor and Mrs. Youngkin, married for 27 years, have four children: Grant, Anna, John and Thomas. They are founding and active members of Holy Trinity Church (HTC) in McLean, Virginia.
The Secretariat of Transportation oversees 9 different agencies; they include the Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Transportation, and the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority. The Secretary of Transportation is trusted to do everything from issuing driver’s licenses to monitoring the roads, the sea ports, the rails, and the airports. The Fellow assigned to the transportation secretariat is expected to report to a Deputy Secretary on a regular basis updating them on their assigned project. At the end of the program, the Fellow will present their findings to the Secretary and other interested parties.
The Secretariat of Veterans and Defense Affairs is responsible for distinguishing and elevating opportunities for Virginia’s veterans and leading initiatives focused on relationship building with and in support of the Commonwealth’s military communities. It oversees the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS), which serves the fastest growing veteran population in the Nation. Our fellows would help with veteran policy development, coordinating with other secretariats and state agencies, and would enjoy tours of bases and attending other veteran and military events.
The Secretary of Labor oversees a wide range of regional, state, and federal programs that connect Virginians to the skills, training, and opportunities they need to thrive in the 21st-century economy. In addition to public sector partners, Secretary Bryan Slater works closely with Virginia’s labor and business communities to identify and fill vacant jobs in high-demand sectors.
The Commonwealth Chief Diversity, Opportunity & Inclusion Officer with a stronger and more focused role on promoting ideas, policies, and economic opportunities for disadvantaged Virginians, including Virginians living with disabilities and bringing Virginians of different faiths together.
The Virginia Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (VOIA) serves as the liaison between the Commonwealth and the United States Congress; the White House; federal agencies; and other states and territories. The Intergovernmental Affairs office also monitors federal legislative issues and advocates on behalf of the Commonwealth. We work with state policy advisors to determine how federal legislation will impact state programs and priorities; and advocate for what is best for the Commonwealth and local programs. Additionally, the Virginia Office of Intergovernmental Affairs helps to identify federal grant opportunities for the Commonwealth and assist them in their efforts to get new federal grants or continue current grant opportunities.