This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury.
Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger on Tuesday announced two additional cabinet appointments, tapping longtime Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax, to serve as Virginia’s next secretary of finance and public administrator Traci Deshazor as her secretary of administration, rounding out key leadership roles as she prepares to take office.
Sickles’ departure from the state legislature will also trigger a special election in the strongly Democratic House District 17, a seat that includes parts of Fairfax County, before the General Assembly is set to convene for its 2026 session next month.
Spanberger said Sickles, a senior budget writer in the House of Delegates, will bring deep fiscal expertise and a bipartisan approach to managing the state’s finances. Deshazor, a Danville native with experience across local, state and federal government, will oversee core administrative functions ranging from elections to workforce support.
“The secretary of finance plays an essential role in guaranteeing Virginia’s long-term economic strength, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, and addressing the challenges facing Virginia communities,” Spanberger said in a statement.
She pointed to Sickles’ role as vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee and said he has worked with lawmakers of both parties to pass budgets that offered tax relief for families while supporting economic growth.
Spanberger said Sickles shares her commitment to fiscal responsibility and to ensuring taxpayer dollars are used effectively, adding that she expects him to be a key partner in her administration’s efforts to lower costs for families and secure Virginia’s long-term financial footing.
Sickles, who is completing his 22nd year representing parts of South Fairfax County, said he is looking forward to assisting Spanberger as she works to make life in Virginia more affordable.
He said the administration must deliver results for families, young people and seniors by building budgets that reflect shared values and reduce the cost of living.
“We need to make sure every tax dollar is employed to its greatest effect for hard-working Virginians,” Sickles said, citing priorities such as keeping tuition low, expanding affordable housing, ensuring teachers are properly compensated and making quality health care accessible and affordable.
Sickles is widely known in Richmond for his influence over health and human services spending. Since 2004, he has served on — and chaired — the House Health and Human Services Committee. He joined the Appropriations Committee in 2014 and currently chairs its Health and Human Resources Subcommittee.
He has also played a central role in budget negotiations, having been appointed to the House-Senate budget conference committee in 2018 and reappointed each year since by successive House speakers.
Sickles currently chairs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission and serves on several other influential panels, including the Major Employment Investment Commission, the Joint Commission on Health Care and the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Revenue Estimates.
Over his legislative career, Sickles has helped shepherd major policy changes through the General Assembly, including the transition from the federal health insurance marketplace to the Virginia Health Insurance Exchange, election administration reforms, legalization of sports betting and the creation of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority.
He has also championed investments in libraries, endangered species protection and bioscience initiatives, and is the patron of a pending constitutional amendment to protect marriage equality for LGBTQ Virginians.
Alongside Sickles’ appointment, Spanberger named Deshazor as her secretary of administration, a role responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations that underpin state government.
She described Deshazor as a knowledgeable leader focused on making government work better for people at both the state and local levels.
Deshazor said her career has been centered on ensuring public institutions are effective and results-driven, and she emphasized the importance of administration as the foundation of good governance.
“I will bring a people-first, outcomes-driven approach to strengthening Virginia’s operations, promoting transparency, and strengthening trust in government,” Deshazor said.
Deshazor brings experience from multiple levels of government.
Most recently, as the deputy chief administrative officer for human services in Richmond, she oversaw a six-agency portfolio with more than 1,000 employees. During that time, she helped create a new Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, launched offices focused on homelessness and community services, and established a community resource and training center.
She also served concurrently as the city’s first chief equity officer.
At the state level, Deshazor previously served as deputy secretary of the commonwealth under Govs. Ralph Northam and Terry McAuliffe, supervising teams responsible for core constitutional and administrative functions.
In that role, she supported clemency efforts and contributed to actions restoring civil and voting rights to more than 300,000 Virginians and to the granting of thousands of pardons and sentence computations.
Earlier in her career, she represented Virginia as deputy director of intergovernmental affairs, working with Congress, the White House and federal agencies.
A graduate of programs at the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Yale University, Virginia Tech and Hollins University, Deshazor lives in Richmond with her husband and said she remains committed to serving the commonwealth she has always called home.
