CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger has announced the first cabinet secretary appointment of her administration. Marvin Figueroa will serve as Virginia’s next Secretary of Health and Human Resources.

“Virginia’s Department of Health and Human Resources oversees 12 state agencies and supports some of the most vulnerable communities across our Commonwealth — including children, senior citizens, and Virginians with disabilities,” Spanberger said in a statement. “As Governor, I am committed to making sure our neighbors have access to safe, reliable healthcare and are served by leaders who are ready to tackle the tough challenges ahead, I know that Mr. Figueroa will always put the health and safety of Virginians first — and I look forward to working alongside him to deliver affordable, accessible care for every Virginian.”

Figueroa served as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources under Governor Ralph Northam. He currently serves as Vice President at BGR Group, where he leads work on federal and state health policy.

“I am honored to join Governor-elect Spanberger’s administration and to serve the people of Virginia as Secretary of Health and Human Resources. The challenges are real. Families are feeling the strain of rising costs, uneven access to care, and systems that are too often hard to navigate,” said Figueroa in the statement. “I share the Governor-elect’s commitment to meet these issues with the urgency Virginians deserve. I am ready to work with the General Assembly, our agencies, and partners across the Commonwealth to strengthen the systems communities rely on and to deliver progress people can feel in their daily lives.”