RICHMOND, Va. — Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger today announced her incoming Chief of Staff and gubernatorial transition team leadership, featuring Virginians who will build the foundation for a successful four-year administration serving the people of the Commonwealth.
Spanberger’s “United for Virginia’s Future” transition team will be responsible for transferring the Governor-elect’s vision into a results-oriented governing agenda and administration.
“Virginians have spoken. In every corner of our Commonwealth, they made clear that they are ready for pragmatic and principled leadership that puts Virginia first. As I said last night, my transition team and my administration will use this moment to bring us together — to unite us for the sake of a stronger, safer, and more affordable future for all Virginians,” said Spanberger. “The incredibly talented and driven members of my transition leadership team will immediately begin using their expertise to follow through on this shared vision. Together, we will lower costs for Virginia families, protect our Virginia economy, and provide more opportunities to the next generation of Virginians. The work begins now.”
The Governor-elect has appointed the following leaders to her “United for Virginia’s Future” transition team:
TRANSITION TEAM LEADERSHIP
Bonnie Krenz-Schnurman, Chief of Staff
Former Chief of Staff, U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger
Chesterfield
Karen Mask, Transition Director
Following the transition, Mask will serve as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations
Former District Director, U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger
Chesterfield
Yohannes Abraham, Co-Chair
Visiting Professor, University of Virginia; Distinguished Policy Fellow, Yale University; Executive Director, Biden-Harris Transition
Arlington
Kelly Cannon, Co-Chair
CEO, Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association Foundation
Chesterfield
Marvin Figueroa, Co-Chair
Vice President, Health and Life Sciences, BGR Group; Distinguished Fellow and Senior Lecturer, Meharry Medical College School of Global Health
Arlington
Daun Hester, Co-Chair
Treasurer, City of Norfolk; Former Delegate, Virginia House of Delegates
Norfolk
Laura Lafayette, Co-Chair
CEO, Richmond Association of REALTORS and the Central Virginia Regional Multiple Listing Service
Henrico
Chris Lu, Co-Chair
James R. Schlesinger Distinguished Professor, University of Virginia Miller Center; Executive Director, Obama-Biden Transition
Arlington
Samson Signori, Co-Chair
Campaign Manager, Spanberger for Governor
Richmond
HONORARY CO-CHAIRS
L. Louise Lucas, Honorary Co-Chair
President Pro Tempore, Senate of Virginia
Portsmouth
Don Scott, Honorary Co-Chair
Speaker of the House, Virginia House of Delegates
Portsmouth
Candi Mundon King, Honorary Co-Chair
Virginia House of Delegates
Prince William; Stafford
Jennifer Wexton, Honorary Co-Chair
Former Congresswoman, Virginia’s 10th Congressional District
Leesburg
Rick Boucher, Honorary Co-Chair
Former Congressman, Virginia’s 9th Congressional District
Abingdon
BACKGROUND
Bonnie Krenz-Schnurman has worked for Governor-elect Spanberger for the last seven years, including more than five years as her Chief of Staff on Capitol Hill, serving Virginia’s Seventh Congressional District.
Krenz-Schnurman’s career experience spans the government, nonprofit, and private sectors. Prior to working for the Governor-elect, she served in the Obama Administration as a Senior Policy Advisor at the White House Domestic Policy Council, focusing on energy and climate change policy. Prior to the White House, she worked in Tanzania, managing a nationwide malaria program for the Clinton Health Access Initiative and worked as a management consultant for the Boston Consulting Group.
Krenz-Schnurman has a BS in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University. She lives in Chesterfield with her husband Mike and their family.
Karen Mask served as the Field Director for Governor-elect Spanberger’s 2018 congressional campaign and served as the District Director in Virginia’s Seventh District during Spanberger’s first two terms in Congress. At the state level, she has served as a Senior Policy Analyst for the Virginia Department of Health and led the pandemic response in K-12 schools as a Special Projects Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Education.
Mask’s professional career includes more than 16 years of operations management and senior leadership at Toys R Us, followed by a decade of dedicated service to pediatric health and clinical research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emory University School of Medicine, and Make-A-Wish of Greater Virginia.
Mask holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Florida, as well as bachelor’s degrees in Psychology (University of Central Florida) and Nursing (BSN, Arizona State University). She lives in Chesterfield with her wife, Dr. Maggie Tolan, and their two sons.
Yohannes Abraham is the Compton Visiting Professor of World Politics at the University of Virginia. Abraham served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from 2022-2024 after being unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. At the conclusion of his tenure in Jakarta, Abraham served as Chair of the Harris-Walz presidential transition planning effort.
Prior to serving as U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN, Abraham was Chief of Staff of the U.S. National Security Council. Previously, Abraham was the Executive Director of the Biden-Harris Transition. Earlier in his career, Abraham served in several White House roles during the Obama Administration, including as Senior Advisor to the National Economic Council and as Deputy Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement. He later helped set up the Obama Foundation as interim Chief Operating Officer.
Abraham has taught at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and served on the Board of Visitors of the Virginia Community College System. He is currently a Distinguished Policy Fellow at Yale University’s Tobin Center. A native of Springfield, Virginia and a resident of Arlington, Virginia, Abraham holds a BA from Yale College and an MBA with High Distinction from Harvard Business School.
Kelly Cannon is an accomplished nonprofit executive and public policy leader with extensive experience advancing health equity and community wellbeing across Virginia. As CEO of the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association Foundation, she oversees statewide initiatives that strengthen healthcare access, workforce development, and population health through collaboration among hospitals, policymakers, and community partners. Under Cannon’s leadership, the Foundation has secured more than $45 million in public and private investment to support programs that enhance care quality and address social drivers of health.
A skilled strategist and coalition builder, Cannon played a pivotal role in the successful effort to achieve Medicaid expansion for the Commonwealth, helping bring coverage to hundreds of thousands of Virginians. Her career experience spans advocacy, philanthropy, and public affairs across work that demonstrates a consistent focus on improving opportunity and quality of life for individuals.
Cannon is a graduate of the College of William & Mary and a Fellow of the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership. She has been recognized by STYLE Weekly as a “Top 40 Under 40” honoree in recognition of her civic leadership, and she serves on the Children’s Health Insurance Program Advisory Council. Cannon lives in Midlothian with her husband and two children.
Marvin B. Figueroa serves as Vice President at BGR Group, where he leads work on federal and state health policy, as well as education policy. With more than 15 years of experience shaping policy and building coalitions across government, he has advanced initiatives that expand access to quality, affordable care, modernize systems to better serve people and create pathways to economic mobility.
A longtime Virginian, Figueroa previously served as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources under Virginia’s 73rd Governor, Ralph Northam, where he helped expand Medicaid and strengthen the Commonwealth’s health and human services system. He also served as Health Policy Advisor to U.S. Senator Mark Warner, a Chief of Staff in the U.S. Senate, and as a senior leader at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the Biden Administration.
Figueroa serves on the Board of Trustees of the Virginia Health Care Foundation and is a Distinguished Fellow and Senior Lecturer at Meharry Medical College School of Global Health. His leadership has been recognized through honors including the Presidential Leadership Scholar, Congressional Black Caucus Health Staffer of the Year, and Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Young Alumnus of the Year. A former member of the Democratic Party of Virginia Steering Committee, he is a graduate of the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Political Leaders Program and the Lead Virginia program. Originally from La Ceiba, Honduras and a POSSE Foundation Scholar, he earned degrees from Vanderbilt and Harvard Universities and lives in Arlington.
Daun Sessoms Hester is a lifelong resident of Norfolk, Virginia who has committed her life to serving her community, city, and the Commonwealth. She grew up in the Five Points area, where she graduated from Norview High School. She returned to her family home after college to begin a career in education and her role as a servant-leader.
Hester currently serves as the Treasurer for the City of Norfolk and is the first woman to lead the office.
Hester is a former member of the Virginia General Assembly, representing the 89th House District, which was located entirely in the City of Norfolk and included approximately 45 percent of the city’s population. In the House of Delegates, she served on the Appropriations, Education, and General Laws Committees. She was appointed to the Virginia Commission on Youth, Virginia’s Joint Commission on Elementary and Secondary Education, Joint Commission on the future of Higher Education, and the Jamestown/Yorktown Authority.
Prior to holding state office, Hester served on the Norfolk City Council from 1996 to 2010 representing Superward Seven, a district that includes 50 percent of Norfolk’s voters. She also served as Vice-Mayor between 2004 and 2008.
In her service to the citizens of Superward Seven, Hester advocated for equal opportunity, a vibrant city economy, and healthy neighborhoods — and she was a tireless voice for young people. Hester was instrumental in establishing the first “Norfolk Youth Council.”
Hester holds a BS degree in Special Education from Virginia State University, granted Cum Laude, and a MA degree in Education and Human Development from George Washington University. Daun serves as Co-chair of Black Women for Positive Change, an international organization that works to “Change the Culture of Violence” and “Build the Middle Class.” She is a member of the Virginia State University Alumni Association – Tidewater Chapter and the National Council of Negro Women – Norfolk Chapter. She is a member of Norfolk Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and a partner at Mount Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church (The Mount).
Laura Dillard Lafayette is the Chief Executive Officer of the Richmond Association of REALTORS® and the Central Virginia Regional Multiple Listing Service—two organizations that serve over 6,500 REALTORS® in Central Virginia.
Within the broader community, Lafayette is a Past Chair of the Board and current member of the Board of Directors of the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust; a co-founder and current board member of the Partnership for Housing Affordability; the Vice Chair of the Board of the YWCA; a member of the Board of Trustees for Virginia Episcopal Real Estate Partners; and serves on the Housing Advisory Committee for Henrico County.
Laura served as Press Secretary during the historic 1989 gubernatorial campaign of L. Douglas Wilder. At the conclusion of the successful campaign, Laura served as spokesperson for and a key advisor on the transition team. Laura served as Director of Communications/Press Secretary for Governor Wilder from January 1990 to August 1991.
Laura received her BA in Religion from the College of William & Mary and pursued post-graduate work at both Yale Divinity School and the University of Virginia. She is the proud mother of three adult children.
Chris Lu has worked in all three branches of the federal government. Most recently, from 2022 to 2025, he served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for Management and Reform, where he led negotiations on the UN budget, coordinated oversight of UN programs, and managed cross-cutting reform issues, including global AI policy.
From 2014 to 2017, Lu served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor. In this role, he was the chief operating officer of a Cabinet department with 17,000 employees and a $12 billion budget.
From 2009 to 2013, Lu served as White House Cabinet Secretary and Assistant to the President, where he was President Obama’s primary liaison to the federal agencies. President Obama said of Chris’ service: “Through his dedication and tireless efforts, Chris has overseen one of the most stable and effective cabinets in history — a cabinet that has produced extraordinary accomplishments over the past four years.”
The proud son of immigrants, Lu is one of the highest-ranking Asian Americans ever to have served in the federal government. At the Department of Labor, he became only the second Asian American in history to serve as the deputy secretary of a cabinet department. During the Obama Administration, Lu also co-chaired the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Prior to his service in the executive branch, he was Legislative Director and Acting Chief of Staff for then-Senator Obama. The day after Election Day 2008, he was named Executive Director of the Obama-Biden transition planning efforts, which was widely recognized as one of the most successful in history.
Lu’s government experience also includes serving as Deputy Chief Counsel of the House Oversight Committee and a law clerk to Judge Robert E. Cowen of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Lu currently serves as the James R. Schlesinger Distinguished Professor at the University of Virginia Miller Center. He is the board chair of the Fair Labor Association and a member of the Microsoft Human Rights Advisory Council and the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs Advisory Council. Lu is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. He and his wife Katie Thomson reside in Arlington, Virginia.
Samson Signori served as Campaign Manager for Abigail Spanberger’s historic and successful campaign for Governor, where he was responsible for executing a $65 million statewide operation. He oversaw the implementation of a statewide paid media program, the management of a staff of 185, and the facilitation of political and stakeholder relationships both in Virginia and nationally.
Signori has spent the last decade working at all levels of Democratic campaigns. In 2023, he led the statewide coordinated campaign that delivered record Democratic victories — expanding the Senate majority and flipping the House of Delegates. In 2022, he managed Spanberger’s reelection in one of the nation’s most expensive Congressional races, securing a critical Democratic win in the midterms.
Prior to that, Signori managed competitive races up and down the ballot and has worked for other marquee candidates including Governor Ralph Northam, U.S. Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09), and U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton (VA-10).
A native of McLean, Virginia, Samson earned his BA in Economics from Wake Forest University. He began his career in politics as a door-knocker on Governor Roy Cooper’s first gubernatorial campaign in North Carolina.
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