RICHMOND, Va. — Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger today announced the appointment of Traci J. Deshazor to serve as Virginia’s next Secretary of Administration.
“The Secretary of Administration is entrusted with overseeing critical functions in our Commonwealth — from making sure Virginians can exercise their right to vote to supporting the Virginians who have chosen to serve their neighbors across state government. Virginians deserve a knowledgeable leader who understands these operations,” said Spanberger. “Throughout her career, Ms. Deshazor has been focused on making Virginia’s government work better for the people at both the state and local levels — and that’s why I’m proud to have her join my administration.”
“Throughout my career, I have worked across municipal and state government, and federal intergovernmental affairs to ensure that public institutions are effective, and centered on delivering results for the people they serve. I understand that strong administration is the foundation of good governance — supporting the workforce, modernizing systems, and ensuring accountability across every agency,” said Deshazor. “As Secretary of Administration, I will bring a people-first, outcomes-driven approach to strengthening Virginia’s operations, promoting transparency, and strengthening trust in government. The Administration Secretariat is the foundation that supports all other state agencies and their ability to provide critical resources and services to the Commonwealth. I am inspired by Governor-elect Spanberger’s vision for a Commonwealth that works better for all Virginians, and I am committed to helping build a government that is transparent, responsive, and worthy of the public’s confidence.”
BIOGRAPHY
Traci J. Deshazor, Secretary of Administration
A native of Danville, Virginia, where she was born and raised, Traci J. Deshazor is a seasoned public administrator with years of experience across municipal and state government, and federal intergovernmental affairs. Her career reflects a deep commitment to strengthening public institutions, modernizing government operations, and ensuring that public systems deliver effectively, equitably, and with integrity for the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
At the local level, Traci served the City of Richmond as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Human Services, where she led the strategic management and administration of a six-agency portfolio with more than 1,000 employees. During her tenure, Traci developed a new city agency, the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, established two new offices — the Office of Homeless Services and the Office of Neighborhood and Community Services, and launched a community resource and training center designed to strengthen service coordination and community self-sufficiency among those experiencing homelessness and other hardships. Concurrently, Traci served as the first-ever Chief Equity Officer for the City of Richmond. Notably, in this role, she supported the modernization of the city’s language access policies.
At the state level, Traci served as Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia under Governor Ralph S. Northam and Terence R. McAuliffe, supervising a team across eight divisions responsible for core constitutional and administrative functions. These divisions delivered services to more than 2,000 Virginians weekly. As Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth, Traci played a pivotal role in supporting the Governor with clemency, contributing to historic actions restoring the civil and voting rights of more than 300,000 Virginians across the two administrations and the granting of thousands of pardons and sentence computations for Virginians well overdue for second chances.
Earlier in her career, Traci represented Virginia as Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, managing a broad federal policy portfolio and advancing the Commonwealth’s interests with Congress, the White House, and federal agencies.
Consistent with Governor-elect Spanberger’s vision, she brings ethical leadership, operational rigor, and a people-centered approach to building a Commonwealth government that is effective, accountable, and worthy of public trust.
Traci is a graduate of the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Political Leaders Program, Virginia Commonwealth University’s Virginia Executive Institute and Minority Political Leadership Institute, and the Women’s Campaign School at Yale. She earned degrees from Virginia Tech and Hollins University.
Traci resides in Richmond with her husband, Wayne, and as a lifelong Virginian, she remains committed to serving the place she has always called home.
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