Deborah Frazier already had two jobs, but she took on an extra task recently anyway.
Of course, it may have been hard to turn down the first woman elected governor of Virginia.
Frazier, a member of the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors and chief academic officer for the county’s schools, was also one of a handful of Fredericksburg-area community leaders who served on now-Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s transition committee, joining former Spotsylvania School Board member Baron Braswell; Ernisha Hall, president and CEO of the Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce; businesswoman and Fredericksburg City Councilwoman Joy Crump; and Xavier Richardson, senior vice president & chief development officer for Mary Washington Healthcare.
Former Democratic Del. Candi Mundon King, who represented part of Stafford County, was as an honorary co-chair of the committee before being tapped by the governor — herself the Fredericksburg region’s former congresswoman — to serve as secretary of the commonwealth.
The transition committee members worked on policy issues and made recommendations to Spanberger, a Democrat, before she took office last month, succeeding former Republican governor Glenn Youngkin. Youngkin couldn’t run for re-election because Virginia governors aren’t allowed to serve consecutive terms.
“In setting the tone for the new administration,” Frazier said Friday, “I think involving the stakeholders was an excellent idea to get the perspective of different people from different backgrounds.”
The transition committee members broke into smaller teams to work on specific issues, and Frazier said her efforts were focused on K-12 education and on the “pathways” panel, which involved talk about career and technical education.
One issue that came up was school accountability and accreditation, she said. That was a topic of conversation recently as the Virginia Department of Education released its 2024-25 accountability data in December.
Frazier said committee members talked about what was working in terms of accountability and what might need to be changed. She said that was a discussion subject she could contribute to because she helped chair a Standards of Learning innovation committee under former Democratic governor Terry McAuliffe and toiled with McAuliffe’s predecessor, Republican Bob McDonnell, on issues such as professional learning for teachers and how schools would be evaluated in the state.
“So I’ve worked with three different governors on education committees,” Frazier said.
In terms of accountability, she said the student has to be at the center of all policies. Finding the best way to meet their individual needs is a concern, as is ensuring teachers have the resources and tools needed to improve daily instruction in the classroom.
Then-Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger poses with former Spotsylvania County School Board member Baron Braswell, who was on her transition team. (Photo courtesy of Baron Braswell)
Braswell also worked on education policy, just in a different group from Frazier.
He pointed out that he and his colleagues were charged with looking at issues only; they weren’t to recommend people Spanberger could hire to the administration, for example.
The group was made up of members with different backgrounds in education, Braswell said, whether they were in elected or appointed positions.
He’s most passionate about career and technical education (CTE). He suggested expanding the use of dual-enrollment programs around the state with community colleges to boost CTE.
The idea is that, while these programs traditionally offer high school students a chance to get a head start on academic classes before going to four-year schools, they can also be used so high-schoolers can earn professional certifications needed for the workforce instead, said Braswell, who previously served on Germanna Community College’s board.
He said the transition-committee experience was rewarding and offered him the opportunity to interact with people he knew of but hadn’t met.
“Because some of these folks, you know, you hear about them but you never get a chance to meet them or talk to them, and it was awe-inspiring, if you will,” he said.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger, left, poses with Ernisha Hall, who leads the Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce, at a legislative reception in Richmond. Hall was on Spanberger’s transition team. (Photo courtesy of Ernisha Hall)
Hall, who runs the Fredericksburg-based Virginia Black Chamber, noted the significance of helping the Old Dominion’s first female governor get started as well as her own benchmark.
“Working on the transition team, that also for me was historic because it actually really showed that our voices are heard,” she said recently.
Hall tackled small-business issues as a part of the committee. She talked to chamber members as well as other business owners about access to capital, what they need and where they felt gaps could be bridged between government and the private sector.
She said she was able to offer suggestions on policies and on things that need to change for the better.
“So it was definitely a great experience,” Hall said. “It was not in any way lip service. We worked. We worked hard.”
She said the group met often.
“At least three days a week,” said Hall, “and you could tell in the end that much of everything we all suggested was taken greatly into consideration and taken seriously.”
(Editor’s note: Xavier Richardson serves on the Fredericksburg Free Press’ Board of Directors.)
