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Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger on Monday announced the appointment of Carrie Chenery as Virginia’s next secretary of commerce and trade, tapping a longtime economic development strategist to help lead the state’s efforts to grow jobs and attract new investment.
Spanberger said Chenery’s background across government, regional development and the private sector aligns closely with her administration’s economic priorities.
“The number-one job of the governor of Virginia is to grow the commonwealth’s economy and create good-paying jobs in every community,” Spanberger said in a statement.
“Maintaining a stable and predictable business environment is essential to attracting new investment and fostering the kinds of opportunities that allow Virginians to earn a good living, support their families, and have confidence in a secure retirement.”
Spanberger added that throughout her career, Chenery has brought together private industry, workforce partners and local governments to pursue those goals, calling her understanding of economic development a strong fit for the administration’s mission to make Virginia the top state in the nation for business.
Chenery, a native Virginian, said she was honored to serve in what she described as a historic administration and said she shares Spanberger’s vision for the state’s economic future.
“I share in the governor-elect’s clear vision to position Virginia as the nation’s best place to do business through a defining opportunity to lead affordability, housing, and energy progress,” Chenery said.
“My statewide work in economic, community, and business development has given me a deep appreciation for the importance of realizing potential, building capacity, engaging diverse stakeholders, and delivering practical results.”
Chenery added that she looks forward to leading the commerce and trade secretariat with a collaborative and business-friendly approach that supports Spanberger, regional partners and communities across the state.
Chenery brings roughly two decades of experience in economic development, public policy, government relations and strategic communications.
In 2018, she founded Valley Pike Partners, a firm that helps companies expand across Virginia through public affairs, business development and community engagement strategies.
Before that, she served as executive director of the Shenandoah Valley Partnership, a regional economic development and marketing organization.
During her tenure, the region announced new and expanding business projects representing more than $460 million in capital investment and 1,900 new jobs. The partnership also unified seven counties and five cities under a shared economic development vision and built coalitions among more than 160 private-sector investors.
Earlier in her career, Chenery served as Virginia’s assistant secretary of agriculture and forestry, overseeing economic development efforts tied to the state’s agriculture and forestry industries.
During that time, the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund contributed to more than $46 million in new private capital investment and the creation of over 400 jobs.
She has also worked as manager of legislation and policy at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and as a director of government affairs at the law firm Williams Mullen.
Chenery is a graduate of Virginia Tech, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy and planning and agricultural and applied economics.
She is also a graduate of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia and previously served on the boards of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority and the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
Chenery has been recognized as one of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers by Consultant Connect and as an outstanding alumna by Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
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She and her husband, Taylor, have two daughters.