Governor-Elect Ralph Northam Announces Administration Appointments

From Gov.-elect Northam’s office:

Governor-Elect Ralph Northam Announces Administration Appointments

RICHMOND — Today at Fire Station #17 in Richmond, Governor-elect Ralph Northam announced that current Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran will continue his service as part of the incoming administration. Governor-elect Northam also announced other key appointments for senior leadership positions within the Public Safety and Homeland Security secretariat.

Ryant Washington and Jae K. Davenport will be joining the Northam administration as Deputy Secretaries.

Lieutenant Colonel Gary Settle will become the new Superintendent of the Virginia State Police upon the retirement of Colonel Steven Flaherty.

Harold Clark will continue in his current role as Director of the Department of Corrections, and Mike Reilly will join the administration as the next Executive Director of the Department of Fire Programs.

Andy Block will continue serving as Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice.

“As Governor, the safety of all Virginians will always be my number one priority,” said Governor-elect Ralph Northam. “Safe communities go hand in hand with businesses small and large choosing to call the Commonwealth home and adding to the New Virginia Economy’s growth. I am confident the team I am announcing today, under Secretary Brian Moran’s continued, capable leadership, will dedicate themselves to moving public safety and criminal justice reform forward over the next four years.

“As we announce our new public safety team, I want to thank Colonel Steven Flaherty for his outstanding career of service to this Commonwealth. Virginia is a safer and more prosperous place to live, work and raise a family thanks to his tireless efforts, and we will all try our best to fill his shoes as we move forward.”

Appointee Biographies

Brian J. Moran, Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security

In 2014, Governor McAuliffe appointed Brian Moran to be the first Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security in Virginia history. He began his career as a judicial law clerk in Arlington, learning the intricacies of the court system. In 1989 he became County prosecutor where he prosecuted a variety of crimes including murder and rape. In 1996, he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 46th legislative district, a seat he held for 13 years until 2008. While in the legislature, Secretary Moran served on the Courts of Justice Committee, the State Crime Commission, the Militia, Police, and Public Safety Committee, the Board of the Alcohol Safety Action Program, and the Secure Virginia Panel.  He championed and sponsored legislation in the areas of child abuse, domestic violence, drunk driving, drug interdiction and elder abuse. He forged bipartisan coalitions and support to pass numerous pieces of legislation. Most notably, he created the felony drunk driving law and Alicia’s Law, which provides law enforcement the necessary tools to stop internet sexual predators from preying on our children. Brian earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Framingham State University and a Juris Doctor degree from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law.

Ryant Washington, Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security

In 2014, Ryant Washington was appointed as Special Policy Advisor for Law Enforcement at the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control by Governor Terry McAuliffe. Prior to joining the administration, Ryant served as Sheriff of Fluvanna County.  He has served in law enforcement since 1990 both as Deputy Sheriff and Virginia State Trooper.  His education and training includes a diploma in Business Administration from National Business College, studies at the Criminal Justice Program at Piedmont Virginia Community College, and completion of the Executive Management Training at the National Sheriffs’ Institute. Sheriff Washington is Past President of the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association, and he serves on the Board of Directors for the National Sheriffs’ Association. He is a member of the National Commission on Forensic Science and the Piedmont Virginia Community College Advisory Board. Sheriff Washington and his wife, Camilla, a registered nurse, have twin sons, Christopher and Nicholas.

Jae K. Davenport, Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security

On September 8, 2017, Jae K. Davenport was appointed Deputy Counsel to Governor Terry McAuliffe. Prior to her arrival, Jae K. was the Standards of Practice Enforcement and Legal Training Attorney for the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission (VIDC). She oversaw the enforcement of the mandatory standards of practice, certification of court-appointed counsel and legal training for all public defenders and certified attorneys. She was also a legislative advocate for the VIDC. Previous to her position at the VIDC, Jae K. was a public defender in Franklin, Virginia where she represented juveniles and adults charged with misdemeanors and felonies. She began as an Assistant Public Defender and worked her way up to the Deputy position.  Jae K. has spent most of her life in Richmond and earned her B.A. from Mary Baldwin College and J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law.

Lieutenant Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent, Virginia State Police

Lt. Colonel Gary Settle serves as the Director for the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). He was appointed to the position in January 2017 from the position of BCI Deputy Director. Since his appointment to the Executive Staff and as the BCI Commander for the Culpeper Field Office, Settle has championed a collaborative, public safety commitment to helping combat Virginia’s opioid and methamphetamine epidemic. Settle began his law enforcement career in 1984 as a deputy with the Rappahannock County Sheriff’s Office and two years later joined the Virginia State Police. Upon his election to sheriff in Rappahannock County in 1996, he introduced numerous progressive, policing practices for the agency and jail, as well as worked to diversify the agency’s ranks. In 2000, he returned to the Virginia State Police and served in numerous capacities over the years to include drug enforcement special agent, public information officer, and tactical team supervisor with assignments spanning the state police Culpeper and Wytheville divisions. Settle holds a master’s degree in Homeland Security and Defense from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., and a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration. The Rappahannock County native also completed the University of Virginia National Criminal Justice Command College and the National Sheriff’s Institute Executive Management Program in Colorado.

Harold W. Clark, Director, Virginia Department of Corrections

In 2014, Harold Clarke was reappointed by Governor McAuliffe to serve as Director of the Virginia Department of Corrections. He was first appointed to the position by Governor Bob McDonnell in 2010. Harold started his career in corrections by joining the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services as a counselor after college. He rose through the department, becoming a unit manager, deputy warden, and then warden at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in 1987. In August of 1990, he was appointed Director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, a position he held until 2005, when he left Nebraska to become the Secretary of the Washington State Department of Corrections. In November of 2007, Mr. Clarke left Washington to become the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections. Commissioner Clarke left Massachusetts in November 2010 to accept an appointment as the Director of Corrections in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Amongst other initiatives under Director Clarke’s leadership, the VADOC has had a focus on organizational development and improving reentry of offenders in the commonwealth. His awards include: the Martin Luther King Service award in 1991, the Dedicated Correctional Service Award in 1994, the Michael Francke Award from the Association of State Correctional Administrators in 1997, the Legacy Award from the Association of Women Executives in Corrections in 2007, the Reentry Champion Award from Offender Aid Restoration Inc. in 2012, and the E.R. Cass Award from the American Correctional Association in 2014.

Michael T. Reilly, Executive Director, Virginia Department of Fire Programs

Michael T. Reilly previously served over 36 years with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, retiring in February 2015 at the rank of Deputy Chief. As Deputy Chief, Michael held command level positions as Operations Chief, Chief Training Officer and Chief of the Fire Marshal’s Office. In addition, Michael also served for over 25 years as the Safety Officer with FEMA and the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance’s U.S. Urban Search And Rescue Team. As Safety Officer, he responded to missions around the world including: the Pentagon on 9/11, the 1999 Taiwan and Turkey earthquakes, the U.S. Embassy bombing in Kenya, among many others. In April of 2015, Michael was recalled to Active Duty, retiring in April 2017 from reserve military duty at the rank of CWO-4, and was the Senior Reserve Special Agent with the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) with 30 years’ experience. He conducted criminal investigations and protective service operations as the CGIS small arms instructor and liaison with I.C.E. and the NOVA Environmental Crimes Task Force. While the Fire Marshal for Fairfax County, Michael provided expert testimony to legislative bodies on the impacts of bills and resolutions. He also served on the Virginia Fire Services Board for eight years after being appointed by Governor Mark Warner in 2004 and Governor Kaine in 2008.

Andrew K. Block, Director, Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice

In 2014, Andrew Block was appointed as Director of the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice by Governor Terry McAuliffe. Prior to that, Andy was an Associate Professor and Director of the Child Advocacy Clinic at the University of Virginia School of Law from 2010-2014.  From 1998 until the spring of 2010 he was the founder and Legal Director of the JustChildren Program of the Legal Aid Justice Center.  He started the program to meet the unaddressed legal needs of court-involved youth in the Charlottesville area. Over time the program expanded and included lawyers in Charlottesville, Richmond, and Petersburg, statewide policy advocacy for vulnerable young people, and training for judges, lawyers, child-serving professionals, and parents. Andy received various awards for his innovative and successful work at JustChildren, including the American Bar Association Young Lawyer’s Division Child Advocacy Award, the Virginia State Bar’s Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year, the Virginia Bar Association’s Robert F. Shepherd, Jr. Award, and the Charlottesville Daily Progress Distinguished Dozen. Block graduated from Yale University in 1987 and from the Northwestern University School of Law in 1994.