:Keyanna Conner
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Keyanna Conner (25788727446).jpg
| office = 17th Virginia Secretary of Administration
| governor = Ralph Northam
| term_start = January 13, 2018
| term_end = January 8, 2021
| preceded = Nancy Rodrigues
| succeeded = Grindly Johnson
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| birthname =
| party = Democrat
| spouse =
| residence = Richmond, Virginia{{cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/keyanna-conner-b83b6661/|title=Keyanna Conner|website=LinkedIn}}
| alma_mater = Hampton University
Virginia Commonwealth University
| profession =
| religion =
| signature =
}}
Keyanna Conner is an American politician. She served as the Virginia Secretary of Administration in the Cabinet of Governor Ralph Northam. She worked for Mark Warner's campaign and administration before joining Northam's cabinet.
Education
Keyanna Conner grew up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and is a native of Wattsville, Virginia.{{cite web|url=http://wavy.com/2017/12/28/gov-elect-northam-announces-picks-for-secretary-administration/|author=Evanne Armour|title=Gov.-elect Northam announces picks for Secretary, Administration|work=WAVY-TV|date=December 28, 2017|access-date=January 6, 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://augustafreepress.com/northam-announces-administration-appointments/|title=Northam announces top administration appointments|work=Augusta Free Press|date=December 29, 2017|access-date=January 6, 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/mcauliffe-rights-restoration-official-will-stay-on-under-northam/article_bfdc6d2a-525b-56e5-a2df-02e0083be72e.html|author=Graham Moomaw|title=McAuliffe rights restoration official will stay on under Northam|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch|date=December 28, 2017|access-date=January 6, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.wmdt.com/2018/02/wattsville-native-appointed-as-va-secretary-of-administration/|title=Wattsville native appointed as Va. Secretary of Administration|publisher=WMDT|date=February 7, 2018|access-date=2021-02-21}}{{cite press release|url=https://www.globenewswire.com/fr/news-release/2019/12/19/1963143/0/en/Center-for-Innovative-Technology-Announces-Successful-Completion-of-Statewide-Data-Town-Halls-with-the-Commonwealth-s-Chief-Data-Officer.htm|title=Center for Innovative Technology Announces Successful Completion of Statewide Data Town Halls with the Commonwealth's Chief Data Officer|publisher=GlobeNewswire|date=December 19, 2019|access-date=2021-02-21}}
Conner studied chemistry at Hampton University,{{cite web|url=http://augustafreepress.com/sen-warner-announces-keyanna-conner-state-director/|title=Sen. Warner announces Keyanna Conner as state director|work=August Free Press|date=March 16, 2017|access-date=January 6, 2018}}{{Cite web|title=Keyanna Conner earned her Ph.D. in chemistry from VCU. Now she oversees five Virginia government agencies.|url=https://news.vcu.edu//article/Keyanna_Conner_earned_her_PhD_in_chemistry_from_VCU_Now_she_oversees|date=April 26, 2018|access-date=2020-08-16|website=news.vcu.edu|language=en}} where she took part in an environmental health project at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania where she put her skills in analytical chemistry to work. Conner graduated from Hampton University in 2006 and received a doctorate in organic chemistry from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2015, where she worked on her thesis "Gas Phase Studies of Organic Reaction Mechanisms" under adviser Scott Gronert.{{cite thesis|url=https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/4032/|title=Gas Phase Studies of Organic Reaction Mechanisms|publisher=VCU Scholars Compass|date=2015|doi=10.25772/9KKX-0212 |access-date=2021-02-21 |last1=Conner |first1=Keyanna }}
During her educational pursuits, Conner was actively involved in public service projects.
Career
After watching Barack Obama's presidential campaign kickoff speech, Conner was inspired to be politically active and volunteered making phone calls and data entry for the Obama campaign.
After earning her undergraduate degree in 2006, she moved to Richmond, where, in 2012, she served as the Chair of the Democratic Committee in Henrico County.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/virginia-politics/post/terry-mcauliffe-amasses-support-for-gubernatorial-run/2012/05/31/gJQARQE94U_blog.html|author=Anita Kumar|title=Terry McAuliffe amasses support for gubernatorial run|newspaper=Washington Post|date=May 31, 2012|access-date=January 6, 2018}} Conner joined Senator Mark Warner's 2014 campaign for the U.S. Senate as a senior adviser and political director.{{cite web|url=http://www.roanoke.com/news/politics/warner-names-campaign-staff-in-senate-re-election-bid/article_8e19c118-af94-11e3-a29c-0017a43b2370.html|author=The Associated Press|title=Warner names campaign staff in Senate re-election bid|work=The Roanoke Times|date=March 19, 2014|access-date=January 6, 2018}} She then worked for Senator Warner, first as his Director of Government and Community Affairs and then as his State Director.
After serving on Senator Warner's staff, Conner accepted a position in Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's cabinet as Secretary of Administration.
In this role, she oversaw the Department of Human Resource Management, the Department of Elections, the Compensation Board, the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, and the Department of General Services.{{cite web|url=http://news.hamptonu.edu/release/Hampton-University-Students-Visit-State-Capitol-for-2020-Advocacy-Day|title= Hampton University Students Visit State Capitol for 2020 Advocacy Day|website=news.hamptonu.edu|date=February 12, 2020|access-date=2021-02-21}}
In December 2020, it was announced that Conner would leave her position for a job in the private sector.{{cite web|url=https://www.virginiabusiness.com/article/state-announces-new-secretary-of-administration/|title=State announces new secretary of administration|website=www.virginiabusiness.com|date=December 10, 2020|access-date=2021-02-21}}{{cite web|url=https://statescoop.com/virginia-secretary-administration-keyanna-conner-steps-down/|title=Virginia Secretary of Administration Keyanna Conner to resign|website=statescoop.com|date=December 15, 2020|access-date=2021-02-21}}
Honors
In 2018, Conner received one of "VCU Alumni's 10 Under 10" awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.vcualumni.org/events/10-under-10/|title=VCU Office of Alumni Relations - 10 Under 10|website=www.vcualumni.org|access-date=2021-02-21}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|id=TTBYkNH6b_E|title=Voices from the Garden: Powerful Women of Virginia - Keyanna Conner Ph.D - TEDxGraceStreetWomen}}
- {{Vimeo|id=303074959|title=Virginia Capitol Foundation with Keyanna Conner}}
{{Northam cabinet}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Politics|Virginia}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conner, Keyanna}}
Category:People from Accomack County, Virginia
Category:Politicians from Richmond, Virginia
Category:Hampton University alumni
Category:Virginia Commonwealth University alumni
Category:State cabinet secretaries of Virginia
Category:African-American state cabinet secretaries
Category:Women in Virginia politics
Category:African-American people in Virginia politics
Category:21st-century American chemists
Category:21st-century American women scientists
Category:21st-century Virginia politicians
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:21st-century African-American women politicians