Bacon's Rebellion

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Youngkin Taps Merrick for Commerce

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James A. Bacon
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by James A. Bacon

Governor-Elect Glenn Youngkin has appointed Caren Merrick, a Northern Virginia investor, entrepreneur and philanthropist, as his Secretary of Commerce and Trade.

Merrick is best known as co-founder with her husband of one of Northern Virginia’s most successful home-grown IT companies, webMethods. They launched the company out of their house in 1996. In 2000 they took the company public. In 2007 webMethods was acquired by Software AG for $546 million. Merrick ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the Virginia state senate in 2011.

While her IT industry background is undoubtedly a plus, Youngkin also highlighted her experience relevant to workforce development.

“Virginia’s jobs machine has stalled out, and Caren is going to play a pivotal role on the team that will jumpstart our economy and reinvigorate job growth here in the Commonwealth,” Youngkin said. “Caren is an innovator, a business builder, and a true leader in workforce development — the kind of experience needed to develop talent, train workers, attract investment, and make Virginia the best state to start a business as we set out to add 400,000 jobs and launch 10,000 startups.”

Merrick, who is CEO of the VA Ready Initiative, has said that business can be a force for social good. VA Ready’s mission is to “rapidly reskill Virginians for in-demand jobs by supporting credentials in high-growth industries where Scholars have a better chance of finding career pathways that are family-sustaining and fulfilling.”

Merrick is Youngkin’s second cabinet-level appointment. Yesterday, he announced Aimee Rogstad Guidera as his Secretary of Education. That makes two accomplished women with strong private-sector credentials whom he has drafted into his administration. So far, so good.

Update: The Washington Post and other media outlets note that the VA Ready Initiative nonprofit was founded by none other than Youngkin himself. I should have picked that up. It looks like Merrick had the inside track on this appointment!

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12 responses to “Youngkin Taps Merrick for Commerce”

  1. tmtfairfax Avatar
    tmtfairfax

    I’ve known Carol Merrick for quite a few years. She’s bright, competent, personable and good at developing consensus. A great pick.

  2. how_it_works Avatar
    how_it_works

    “Caren Merrick is the founder and CEO of Pocket Mentor and a highly experienced entrepreneur. Graduating from UCLA with a degree in political science, Merrick founded Creative Marketing Alliance, a social marketing agency.”

    “Creative Marketing Alliance” seems to be based in New Jersey.

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      Well, speaking of crossing unusual lines. I had a mammogram today. Broke the paddle. And, all the women complaining about it… are just complaining, nothing to it.

    2. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      Creative Marketing Alliance” seems to be based in New Jersey.

      Okay. What difference does that make?

      1. how_it_works Avatar
        how_it_works

        It’s not Virginia. Not that I really care, but some people have this thing against them Yankees…

        1. WayneS Avatar
          WayneS

          As far as I can tell, she is not still a part of CMA, and her last couple of ventures have been in Virginia.

          1. how_it_works Avatar
            how_it_works

            Yea, but she was born in California.

          2. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            Yeah, there is that…

            😉

        2. Merchantseamen Avatar
          Merchantseamen

          I had forgotten till I read it after some 40 years another book about the Civil War. Maryland and Delaware were slave states. Delaware had no “militia” to speak of . Maryland came within a hairs breath of succeeding but Baltimore was occupied and squashed that. As Lincoln came to D.C. before his Inauguration there was a bounty on his head. He was secreted through Baltimore before he was hunted down.

          1. how_it_works Avatar
            how_it_works

            Maryland’s state song apparently referred to Lincoln as a despot.

  3. vicnicholls Avatar
    vicnicholls

    Better than his CRT education pick.

  4. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    Katie Couric Lives. Yeah, I know. Chauvinist. But usually, you GOP’ers call me a feminist whenever I try to distinguish for you the differences between women and kitchen appliances.

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