Governor Youngkin Puts The Progress Of The Commonwealth On Hold, Rejecting 11 Highly Qualified Civil Servants

See below for a press release from DPVA, regarding what House Republicans – presumably in coordination with Gov. Youngkin – did late Friday afternoon (“rejecting 11 highly qualified civil servants”). Also, check out the video…

Governor Youngkin Puts The Progress Of The Commonwealth On Hold, Rejecting 11 Highly Qualified Civil Servants

Richmond, VA — Governor Youngkin made it clear once again this past week that he’d much rather put far-right partisan bickering over moving the Commonwealth forward. By upending the futures of 11 highly-qualified public servants, he’s abandoned any promise of bipartisanship. Rejecting the nominations of these public servants over the denial of former Trump Appointee Andrew Wheeler is simply an abuse of power from Governor Youngkin and Republican legislators.

Governor Youngkin is tearing down the decades of service that these incredible people have given to the Commonwealth. A few of the rejected appointments includes:

• Anthony Swann, a teacher from Southwest Virginia who was named Virginia’s Teacher of Year in 2021, was removed from the Board of Education.
• Richard D. Langford, a Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board Member since 2002, who has been appointed by five Republican and Democratic governors, was removed from the Air Pollution Control Board.
• Jamelle Smith Wilson, fifth dean of the University of Richmond School of Professional and Continuing Studies, was removed from the Board of Education.
• Stewart D. Roberson, a Professor of Practice at the Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, was removed from the Board of Education.

“This is nothing more than a political hit job from Governor Youngkin’s Administration, and it’s a clear reaffirmation that he’s not committed to ‘leading from the middle’ like he promised Virginians,” said DPVA Spokesperson Gianni Snidle. “Many of these appointees that he’s rejected have dedicated their careers and lives to serving Virginians in their area of expertise, and their appointments were recognition of that commitment. By denying them this opportunity Governor Youngkin is disregarding decades of experience and self sacrifice from these public servants.”

See below the list of the full civil servants that Governor Youngkin is recklessly discarding for political purposes:

Jamelle Smith Wilson, Ed.D, to the Board of Education

Anthony Swann to the Board of Education

Stewart D. Roberson, Ed.D., to the Board of Education

Tim Hayes to the State Water Control Board

Richard D. Langford to the State Air Pollution Control Board

Joshua G. Behr to the State Air Pollution Control Board

Milagro Rodriguez to the Safety and Health Codes Board

Fernando Franco to the Safety and Health Codes Board

Chris Newsome to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission

Christina Everett to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission

Jack Lanier, Dr.P.H., FACHE, M.H.A., to the State Water Control Board