Traci DeShazor

DeShazor began her career in Virginia politics working with the Terry McAuliffe 2013 gubernatorial campaign, where she served as the African-American outreach coordinator.^[1] Following the election, she worked on the governor-elect's transition team.^[1] She subsequently served as the deputy director of the Virginia Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, a role in which she acted as a federal liaison between the Government of Virginia, the White House, the Virginia congressional delegation, and other states.^[1] On June 24, 2016, governor Terry McAuliffe appointed DeShazor as the deputy secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia.^[1]

In December 2017, governor Ralph Northam reappointed DeShazor as deputy secretary of the Commonwealth.^[3] In this capacity, she supervised eight divisions responsible for core administrative and constitutional functions serving more than 2,000 Virginians weekly.^[2] Her work included playing a role in efforts to restore civil and voting rights to over 300,000 Virginians and supporting thousands of pardons.^[2]

Following the 2019 blackface scandal involving Governor Northam, DeShazor led the governor's community liaison office.^[4] DeShazor and press secretary Alena Yarmosky worked closely to facilitate a series of listening sessions across the state to address racial equity.^[5] Activist Wes Bellamy credited DeShazor with "saving the state" during this period by ensuring that the administration's commitment to equity work resulted in substantive action.^[5]

DeShazor transitioned to local government in the Richmond, Virginia, where she served as the deputy chief administrative officer for human services until March 2025.^[6] In this role, she oversaw a portfolio of six agencies and more than 1,000 employees.^[2] During her tenure, she helped launch the department of Neighborhood and Community Services and established new offices focused on homelessness and neighborhood support.^[2] She also served as Richmond's first chief equity officer, working to modernize the city's language access policies.^[2]

In December 2025, governor-elect Abigail Spanberger announced the selection of DeShazor as the next Virginia Secretary of Administration.^[6]

As of 2025, DeShazor resides in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband.^[2] She is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha, specifically the Alpha Phi Omega chapter.^[3] She serves on the board of directors for the Virginia Tech Foundation and on the Virginia Tech Alumni Association Board.^[2]