Scott Harper
The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
A former legislator, a one-time federal official and conservative Republican activist, and a longtime technology executive are the newest additions to Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell's Cabinet, which now has two vacancies remaining.
At a news conference Wednesday morning, McDonnell introduced former state Del. Terrie Suit as his assistant for commonwealth preparedness, Doug Domenech as secretary of natural resources and Jim Duffey as secretary of technology.
The secretariats for education and for health and human resources have yet to be filled. McDonnell, whose inauguration is scheduled for Jan. 16, said those announcements are forthcoming.
Suit, a one-time seat mate of McDonnell's in the House of Delegates, represented a state House district that covered portions of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake for nearly a decade before resigning in late 2008 to become a lobbyist.
Domenech is a veteran of former President George W. Bush's administration. He serv ed as deputy chief of staff in the Department of the Interior. He was appointed to state boards by former Govs. George Allen and Jim Gilmore.
A lso, Domenech served as chairman of the Loudoun County Republican Party, headed an arm of the Home School Legal Defense Association, which fights for home-schooling and religious freedom issues on Capitol Hill; and was executive director of the Madison Project, a fundraising group supporting conservative political candidates.
Domenech hails from a Puerto Rican family often involved in politics.
The current secretary of natural resources, L. Preston Bryant, a former Republican legislator, said he is unfamiliar with his proposed successor. Several environmentalists interviewed Wednesday could not recall ever speaking with Domenech.
Still, they said they are keeping an open mind and look forward to working with the new secretary and the McDonnell administration.
"Doug Domenech has had a long career in the forestry industry and at the federal Department of the Interior. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is hopeful his experience will serve Virginia well as Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts enter a new and exciting phase of federal-state engagement," Ann Jennings, executive director of the nonprofit group, said in a statement Wednesday.
Duffey is a Northern Virginia Technology Council board member. His career in the tech sector spans several decades and multiple companies, including Electronic Data Systems Corp. and Dell.
He walks into the technology secretary job in the midst of an imbroglio over the management and rising cost of a multibillion-dollar contract to privatize the state's computer systems.
McDonnell has called the situation "unacceptable" and suggested that he might change how the Virginia Information Technologies Agency and the Information Technology Investment Board report to the technology secretary and the governor.
"It is an absolute top priority for the secretary to get the operations of VITA running right," McDonnell said.
Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com
Scott Harper, (757) 446-2340, scott.harper@pilotonline.com
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Funny Isn't It
How the teabaggers and Rethugs have been silent on this article. No one is rising to defend McDonnell's choice of these lobbyists, party hacks and Jack Abramoff cronies to political positions in the Commonwealth. I, for one, am not suffering from buyer's remorse as I never did buy McDonnell's claptrap about being a forward-thinking moderate.
Domenech?
I think McDonnell deserves a "C'mon, Man" for the appointment of Domenech. Once again the policy at the Department of the Interior is at risk of being sold to the highest bidder, and Domenech knows how to play that game better than just about anybody. Hopefully I am wrong, but looking at Domenech's past doesn't bode well for the Commonwealth. I guess that Ralph Reed, Jack Abramoff and company can still pull some strings up in Richmond - and I thought McDonnell was above all that. Bob - you're starting to scare me!
Government by the corporations for the corporations.
We, the Corporations, of the United States of America, in order to form a more perfect monopoly of the nation's wealth, will at all times lobby with money to buy off politicians and insure that they appoint corporate connected people to executive positions, at all levels of government, and thusly we will control the administration of all legislation and its regulation in a manner which will return maximum profits to the corporations. In money, our god, we trust.
Now get to work and don't be late on Saturday or I will cut your pay peasant.
Terrie is a great lady
Terri is a great choice for McDonald's staff. She has no hidden agenda, and there is no "payback" to her for anything she has done. She is a true Republican with good Christian values, and I am glad she is in a public servant position to help this great Commonwealth!
Suit is
unqualified and a party hack without any ability to think beyond her self interest. Interesting that you think being a "true" republican with "good christian values" are the only requirements for a job on McDonnell's staff. I knew this was how it would be, self-serving christian thuggery aqgainst us all. Oh boy, let the fascist oppression begin.
Terri
"Terri is a great choice for McDonald's staff."
I'll bet she could even work her way up to being night manager after being in the "revolving door".
Showing his true colors
I was hoping for more, but expected no less. When I saw his choice of Dominion CEO, Tom Farrell, for his transition team, and his letter to Ken Salazar, Department of the Interior all of my hopes for the environment were shattered. Bring on the ATVs and a can of turpentine by the back door to clean the oil off your feet.
Amen to that
Doug Domenech is of the "slash and burn" "sagebrush rebellion" "pay to play" school of environmental protection. We can kiss off any state efforts to protect the Chesapeake Bay or to regulate mountaintop coal-mining or anything that comes out of the smoke stacks or drain pipes of industry in this state.
McDonnell Showing his true colors
Doug Domenech is closely associated with Ralph Reed, James Dobson, the Christian Coalition and Grover Norquist. He was Jack Abramoff's liaison with the Dept of Interior and was in the middle of the Indian casino scandal. How interested do you think he is protecting Virginia's natural resources? I can't resist: How's this change thing working for you?
Great Choice
While I did not always agree with Terrie Suit, I think she is well qualified for this role, and will bring a unique perspective on the contentious land use issues that have such a profound effect on military relations with host communities. Certainly good as well to see Hampton Roads well represented in this arena, and she will bring clarity to the issues and have the ear of both the Governor and the Speaker of the House. Great choice.