McDonnell announces appointments, says he'll reopen rest stops

By: Media General News Service | The News & Advance
Published: January 13, 2010

Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell said yesterday that he will announce plans next week to reopen the state's closed highway rest stops within 90 days of taking office.

"There will be a ribbon-cutting in April," he told a news conference at the state Capitol.

Announcing nine appointments, McDonnell also said he plans to meet with budget negotiators next week to try to speed along the budget process. McDonnell said he hopes the budget can be adopted within the allotted 60-day session that began today because the fate of local government budgets hinges on what the General Assembly does in the session.

"They all know it's going to be tough," he said of a 2010-12 budget with a likely $4.2 billion shortfall.

McDonnell said he is working with outgoing Gov. Timothy M. Kaine on a proposal to ask this week for a share of a $4.3 billion federal education program, proposed by President Barack Obama, called "The Race to the Top." The program encourages charter schools and merit pay for teachers.

Virginia has only three charter schools. A fourth is on track to open this year in South Richmond.

McDonnell, a backer of charter schools, yesterday confirmed the appointment of a leading charter-school proponent, Gerard Robinson, as secretary of education. Robinson is president of the Black Alliance for Educational Options. He has Richmond-area ties through his wife, the former Kimberly Jenkins, who graduated from high school in Chesterfield County.

McDonnell hinted that his appointee as secretary of commerce and trade, Robert C. Sledd of Richmond, might quit two corporate boards because of criticism that the dual roles might constitute a conflict of interest. While he said he expects the legislature to confirm Sledd, McDonnell said he did not want his nominee to get bogged down in controversy.

The other appointments announced yesterday by McDonnell were:

David Paylor, director of the Department of Environmental Quality, a reappointment.

Jeannemarie Devolites Davis, director of the Virginia Liaison Office in Washington. Davis, a former member of the House of Delegates and Virginia Senate, is married to former U.S. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III, R-11.

Former Rep. Thelma Drake of Virginia Beach as director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. She represented the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area 2nd District in Congress before losing to Democrat Glenn Nye in 2008. Before moving up to Congress, she was a multiterm member of the House of Delegates from Norfolk.

J. Jasen Eige, counselor and senior adviser to the governor. Eige was chief of staff and counsel to McDonnell when he was attorney general.

John Bukovich, deputy secretary of public safety. A former Richmond policeman, Bukovich is an investigative supervisor for the Medicaid fraud control unit in the state attorney general's office.

James S. Cheng, deputy secretary of commerce and trade. He is founder of a company that grew from five employees to 500. He is now president of Totus Lighting Solutions in Northern Virginia, a startup company.

Charles James, deputy secretary of administration. He was director of the Department of Personnel and Training under former Gov. George Allen and a member of the Virginia Parole Board under Gov. Jim Gilmore. James is married to Kay Coles James, a McDonnell transition adviser who previously served as an official in George W. Bush's White House. Their son, "Chuck" James, is chief deputy to Attorney General-elect Ken Cuccinelli.