Shannon Valentine
{{Short description|American politician (born 1959)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Shannon Valentine 8 x10.jpg
| order1 = 14th
| governor1 = Ralph Northam
| term_start1 = January 16, 2018
| predecessor1 = Aubrey Layne
| term_end1 = January 15, 2022
| successor1 = Shep Miller
| state_delegate2 = Virginia
| district2 = 23rd
| term_start2 = January 11, 2006
| term_end2 = January 13, 2010
| preceded2 = Preston Bryant
| succeeded2 = T. Scott Garrett
| birthname = Shannon White Rutter
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1959|1|31}}
| birth_place = Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Democratic
| alma_mater = University of Virginia (B.A.)
| office1 = Virginia Secretary of Transportation
| caption = Official portrait, 2018
}}
Shannon Rutter Valentine (born January 31, 1959) is an American politician who served as the Secretary of Transportation for Virginia from 2018 to 2022.
Electoral history
Political career
In January 2018, Valentine was appointed Secretary of Transportation by Governor Ralph Northam.{{Cite web|last=Moomaw|first=Graham|date=14 December 2017|title=Northam picks former Lynchburg lawmaker Valentine as next transportation secretary|url=https://dailyprogress.com/news/local/northam-picks-former-lynchburg-lawmaker-valentine-as-next-transportation-secretary/article_6610f314-e12a-11e7-82a3-273b6c85bb06.html|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-10-19|website=The Daily Progress|language=en}} As Secretary, she also serves as Chair of the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB).{{cite web|title=Transportation Secretary, about|url=https://www.transportation.virginia.gov/about-us/|website=virginia.gov|accessdate=7 July 2018}} She oversaw a $5 billion multimodal transportation system crossing seven agencies with more than 10,000 employees. As Secretary, she also serves as Chair of the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB). Valentine served previously in the Virginia House of Delegates 2006–2010, representing the 23rd district, made up of the city of Lynchburg, Virginia and part of Amherst County, serving on the House Transportation and Courts of Justice Committees. Following an assignment as a Director of the Transportation Policy Council in 2013 for then Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe's transition team, Valentine was appointed as the Lynchburg District representative to the CTB in May 2014. During this time, she created the first Regional Connectivity Study in Virginia that correlated transportation decisions with workforce, business expansion and recruitment and investment, covering eight modes of transportation. Her legislative priorities focused on transportation, economic development, education, and ethics. She led bipartisan efforts to create transparent government, expand clean energy production, and invest in intercity passenger rail service for the first time in Virginia's history. She is a member of the Democratic Party.{{cite web |title=Virginia House of Delegates; Session 2009; Valentine, Shannon R. |url=http://dela.state.va.us/dela/Membios.nsf/94f6e9b9c9b5678f85256b1b00732227/10b47183df7ce780852576650050badf?OpenDocument |accessdate=2013-05-28 |publisher=Virginia House of Delegates}}
Personal life
Valentine was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on January 31, 1959, and is married to Carl Michael Valentine. They have three children. Valentine graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelor's in economics.{{Cite web|last=Pascale|first=Jordan|date=13 December 2017|title=Northam's new transportation secretary is Lynchburg-area Transportation Board member|url=https://www.pilotonline.com/government/virginia/article_c74e5e6d-bc51-5958-9004-419518f37281.html|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-10-19|website=The Virginian-Pilot}}{{Cite news|last=Aratani|first=Lori|title=Va. governor-elect Ralph Northam names his transportation team|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2017/12/13/va-governor-elect-ralph-northam-names-his-transportation-team/|access-date=2020-10-19|issn=0190-8286}} She also graduated from the Sorensen Institute for Political leadership and completed an Education for Ministry certificate course through Sewanee University's School of Theology.{{Cite web|last=Jones|first=Evan|date=13 December 2017|title=Shannon Valentine named next Secretary of Transportation {{!}} 105.9 WLNI-FM|url=https://wlni.com/news/shannon-valentine-named-next-secretary-of-transportation|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-10-19|website=WLNI}}
Awards and accolades
Valentine was named 2017 Transportation Woman of the Year by WTS Central Virginia Chapter. She has also been honored with the Humanitarian Award by the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, Democracy in Action Award by the League of Women Voters, Freedom Fighter Award by the NAACP, Woman of the Year in Government by the YWCA,{{Cite web|last=Petska|first=Alicia|date=24 September 2010|title=YWCA honors 11 with induction into Academy of Women|url=https://newsadvance.com/news/local/ywca-honors-11-with-induction-into-academy-of-women/article_5850220a-2086-5fec-b4cd-fdbd78a6cb9c.html|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-10-19|website=The News & Advance|language=en}} and the Commonwealth Autism Services Award.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{cite web | title = Shannon R Valentine | publisher = Virginia Public Access Project | url = http://www.vpap.org/candidates/profile/home/83303}}
- {{cite web | title = Delegate Shannon Valentine (D-Lynchburg) | publisher = Richmond Sunlight | url = http://www.richmondsunlight.com/legislator/srvalentine/}}
- {{cite web|title=Election Results |publisher=Virginia State Board of Elections |url=http://sbe.virginia.gov/ElectionResults.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130429112846/http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/ElectionResults.html |archivedate=2013-04-29 }}
- [http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=56850 Project Vote Smart - Representative Shannon R. Valentine (VA)] profile
- Follow the Money - Shannon R. Valentine
- [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=95101 2007]
{{Northam cabinet}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valentine, Shannon R.}}
Category:Politicians from Wilmington, Delaware
Category:Politicians from Lynchburg, Virginia
Category:Democratic Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates
Category:Women state legislators in Virginia
Category:State cabinet secretaries of Virginia
Category:University of Virginia alumni
Category:Sewanee: The University of the South alumni
Category:21st-century members of the Virginia General Assembly