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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Jaime Christopher Pierce, who goes by Christopher, will be sworn onto the Virginia LGBTQ+ Advisory Board on Thursday at the Alexandria Circuit Court Clerk's Office, giving the city two residents on the 21-member state board.
Pierce, appointed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, said the other is Jason Geske, a policy adviser at the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration who lives in Old Town.
Circuit Court Clerk Greg Parks will administer the oath at a small private ceremony at 1:30 p.m.
Pierce, who uses they/them pronouns, was among four Alexandria residents named to state boards in a round of appointments the governor announced Friday.
What the board does
The board advises the governor on issues affecting LGBTQ+ Virginians and on economic, professional, cultural, educational and governmental links between the state and the LGBTQ+ community. Under state law it can conduct research, sponsor symposiums and prepare reports, and it submits an annual report to the governor and the General Assembly.
Created under legislation signed in April 2021 during the Northam administration, the board has 26 members: 21 citizens appointed by the governor, at least 15 of whom must identify as LGBTQ+, plus five cabinet secretaries who serve ex officio without a vote. Members are not paid but can be reimbursed for expenses, and the governor's office provides staff support.
Pierce's term is four years. The appointment is subject to confirmation by the General Assembly under state law, and Pierce said they have not been told whether that has happened yet.
How it came about
Pierce applied for the seat, describing it as a natural next step after service on the board of Equality Virginia and current work as vice chair of the Alexandria LGBTQIA+ Task Force.
"I felt ready to take that experience and contribute in a different way at the statewide level," Pierce said in a statement to The Alexandria Brief.
Asked what they want to work on, Pierce said it is early and they intend to learn the board's current priorities first. More broadly, Pierce said they are interested in inclusion, representation, and how LGBTQ+ Virginians experience and interact with government and public institutions.
Pierce is the circuit court services manager in the Department of Judicial Services at the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, providing statewide support to Virginia's circuit courts. Pierce started in the state judiciary in 1994 as a deputy clerk in Virginia Beach Circuit Court.
The oath
Pierce and Parks came to know each other through the courts. Pierce worked with Parks and his office as the Alexandria clerk's office moved from a privately operated case management system to the state's.
As that working relationship developed, Pierce encouraged the clerk's office to take part in Alexandria Pride as an exhibitor alongside other city departments, saying it mattered for the office to be represented and for LGBTQ+ residents to see that part of local government engaging with them.
So when the oath came up, Pierce said, asking Parks felt natural. Parks is Virginia's first openly gay elected circuit court clerk.
"We have this professional connection through the court system, but we also share a connection to Alexandria and its LGBTQ+ community," Pierce said.
Pierce also serves on the Alexandria Pride planning committee and took part in a national workgroup that produced the National Association for Court Management's guide on diversity, equity and inclusion. Pierce holds a criminal justice degree from Liberty University and a paralegal studies certificate from Norfolk State University.
Originally from the Hampton Roads and Richmond areas, Pierce lives in Alexandria with their husband and their four children. Pierce noted that the judiciary role is separate from the board appointment and from their advocacy work.
Ryan Belmore is an Alexandria resident and the founder and publisher of The Alexandria Brief. Send tips, feedback, and story ideas to ryan@alexandriabrief.com.
