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SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND TRADE, COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, RICHMOND
SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND TRADE, COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, RICHMOND
Virginia Business// August 29, 2022//
As Virginia’s current secretary of commerce and trade, Merrick came to the job with prior experience working with the governor.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, she became the founding CEO of the Virginia Ready Initiative — a public-private partnership that Gov. Glenn Youngkin co-founded with his wife, Suzanne. VA Ready partners with community colleges and businesses to provide job-training programs, assisting both jobless Virginians and workplaces seeking qualified job candidates.
Merrick also has extensive experience in the private sector, having co-founded webMethods, a software company that was acquired for $546 million by Software AG in 2007. She later joined NextGen Venture Partners, an angel investor in startups. In 2011, Merrick ran for Virginia Senate as a Republican but was defeated by Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington.
Prior to taking her position in state government, Merrick served on Gladstone Capital Corp.’s board and held a seat on the board of directors for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
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