Gov. McDonnell announces new appointments

By Lynn R. Mitchell | Monday, August 1st, 2011 | Politics, Virginia

Governor Bob McDonnell has announced three appointments to his administration in the Education, Health and Human Services, and Public Safety secretariats.

Laura Fornash, who is currently the Deputy Secretary of Education, will serve as interim Secretary of Education. Cindi Jones has been appointed as Director of the Department of Medical Assistance Services. Mark Davis will serve as an interim part-time member of the Virginia Parole Board.

Laura Fornash
Interim Secretary of Education

Laura Fornash first joined the McDonnell Administration in 2010 as Deputy Secretary of Education. She formerly served as Director of State Government Relations for Virginia Tech. Prior to assuming this post in 2006, Laura served as the university’s Associate Director of State Government Relations.

Laura received her undergraduate degree and Master’s Degree from Virginia Tech. She has spent her professional career with the university. She was the school’s Restructuring Project Director with the responsibility of managing Virginia Tech’s implementation of the 2005 Restructuring Act that affected Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia, and William and Mary. Fornash was Director of the Virginia Tech Richmond Center/State Legislative Liason from 2001 to 2005. Prior to this she was the Director of Information Technology Programs and Director of the Virginia Tech Richmond Center.

Cynthia B. Jones
Director, Department of Medical Assistance Services, Health and Human Services

Cindi Jones has more than 31 years of public service experience with the Commonwealth of Virginia in various health care positions. Cindi currently serves as Director of the Virginia Health Reform Initiative. Jones will continue to serve as Director of Virginia’s Health Reform Initiative as she assumes her new responsibilities. More than 20 years of her service has been at the Department of Medical Assistance Services; including service as the Interim Director and served eight years as the Chief Deputy Director. She formerly was a Chief Legislative Analyst at the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.

Jones received both a B.S. and M.S. in family and child services from Virginia Tech. She is a member of the Virginia Tech Center for Gerontology Futures Board and the National Association of State Medicaid Directors’ Chronic Care Technical Assistance Group. Jones grew up in Fairfax County, Virginia and currently resides in Henrico, Virginia with her husband, T.C. She has two adult children, Jayme and Danny Bowling.

Mark Davis
Mark Davis, Interim Part-Time Member, Virginia Parole Board

Mark Davis is a 1979 graduate of the Washington & Lee University School of Law. He began his legal career as a law clerk at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and started employment with the Virginia Office of the Attorney General in 1983. Davis recently retired from the Attorney General’s Office after 30 years of public service. His wife Gina, also a graduate of Washington & Lee, is an attorney with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. They have two children, Timothy, who begins law school this month at Washington & Lee, and Peter, a second year student at the Florida State University Film School. The Davises make their home in Henrico County, where they attend St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

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