SCC names next chief administrative officer

Joseph F. Damico has been named the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s next chief administrative officer, replacing Samuel A. Nixon Jr., who is retiring this month.

A longtime public servant, Damico was most recently deputy director of the Richmond Department of Public Works and was director of the state Department of General Services, according to the Friday SCC announcement. Damico will be responsible for budget, human resources, computer technology, data security, public relations, procurement and facilities management divisions at the commission, which oversees Virginia’s utilities, insurance firms, state-chartered financial institutions, a health benefit exchange and securities, among other institutions.

At DGS, Damico was responsible for management and maintenance of the Virginia Capitol Square’s grounds and buildings in Richmond, including the construction and renovation of the new General Assembly building and repairs to the state Capitol. During his six-year tenure as director, the agency had more than 700 employees and an annual operations budget of $270 million, in addition to a $500 million capital budget.

Nixon retires after nine years with the SCC; he was previously the state’s chief information officer and director of the Virginia Information Technologies Agency. From 1994 to 2010, Nixon was a Republican state delegate who represented Chesterfield County.