Jay Jones
Attorney General of Virginia

Senior Leadership

  • Travis Hill

    Chief Deputy Attorney General

    Since February 2024, Travis Hill has served as counsel in the Global Economic Development, Commerce and Government Relations Group of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP in Richmond. Hill’s prior public service includes almost a decade as head of Virginia ABC. He was appointed COO of the agency in 2014 by Gov. Terry McAuliffe and led the multiyear effort to transform ABC from a state agency to an authority. He was appointed as CEO by Gov. Ralph Northam in 2018 and reappointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2022. Hill’s roles had him at the helm of the complex retail and regulatory organization that generated billions of dollars of revenue with 399 retail locations, 8 regional offices and over 4,600 teammates, including more than 100 sworn law enforcement officers who regulated over 20,000 licensed businesses. During his time at ABC, Hill worked with the ABC Bureau of Law Enforcement to align priorities on public safety and enhance the professional standing of the Bureau, resulting in ABC achieving and maintaining accreditation from the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission since 2015 and earning Alcohol Law Enforcement Agency of the Year from the National Liquor Law Enforcement Association in 2018 and 2021. Prior to his time at ABC, Hill served as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry under Gov. Bob McDonnell and Gov. McAuliffe where he conceptualized and implemented new strategies and programs focused on economic development and served as the primary point of contact on management and regulatory issues involving assigned agencies. Prior to entering public service, he worked as an attorney in the Richmond office of the law firm Williams Mullen. He has held leadership positions with industry and professional organizations including service as president of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators, as a member of the Virginia Bar Association Board of Governors, and chair of the Virginia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. He was named to the Virginia Business Virginia 500 Power List each year from 2020-2023. Travis earned his J.D. with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

  • Nicky Zamostny

    Chief of Staff

    Nicky Zamostny has served as the President of Riverside Strategies, a Richmond-based government affairs firm since November 2021. Prior to launching her consulting firm, Nicky served two Virginia governors, including as Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security under Governor Ralph Northam and as Assistant Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security under Governor Terry McAuliffe. During her tenure in both administrations, Nicky led and supported numerous high-profile initiatives. Notably, she served as the director of the task force established following the deadly Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, VA, which developed nationwide best practices for incidents of civil unrest. She also helped to pass a bipartisan gun violence prevention compromise, supported the implementation of a statewide school safety study and subsequent reforms, and worked to pass bipartisan criminal justice reforms. Nicky grew up in Northern Virginia and now lives in Richmond, Virginia with her family. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Virginia Tech and a Master of Social Work degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.

  • Tillman Breckenridge

    Solicitor General

    Tillman Breckenridge is the first African American Solicitor General in Virginia’s history. Tillman Breckenridge is an experienced appellate lawyer and partner at Stris & Maher. In 2018, he became the youngest fellow ever—and the first under 40—elected to the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers. Tillman has represented companies, organizations, individuals, and foreign, state, and local governments before the United States Supreme Court, every federal court of appeals, and several state courts, such as the Supreme Court of Virginia, the California Courts of Appeal, and the Illinois Courts of Appeal. His work has led to numerous honors. He has been named to Savoy Magazine’s Most Influential Black Lawyers in America; an honorary member of the Order of the Barristers; a Washington, D.C. SuperLawyer; and a member of Virginia’s Legal Elite. He is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers. Outside of his private practice, Tillman has served as an adjunct professor of law at William and Mary Law School, where he founded the Appellate & Supreme Court Clinic. And he regularly speaks on appellate and related topics. He is a member of the Virginia Advisory Committee on Rules of Court. He is on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers. And he is a member of the Boyd-Graves Conference. Tillman earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he argued (successfully) his first appeal as a third-year student in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in a case that presented an issue of first impression.

  • Travis Nembhard

    Deputy Attorney General for the Commerce and Infrastructure Division

    Travis Nembhard brings a broad background spanning legislative, enforcement, and adjudicatory roles. Travis has served as Administrator at the District of Columbia Department of For-Hire Vehicles, where he led the Compliance and Enforcement Division, and oversaw multimodal regulatory and consumer protection initiatives across rideshare, delivery, and emerging mobility platforms. He has also served as a Commissioner on the Manassas Regional Airport Commission, where he contributed to oversight of airport infrastructure planning, capital projects, and long-term strategy for Virginia’s largest and busiest general aviation airport. Earlier in his career, Travis served as an administrative law judge, presiding over trials and appeals involving licensing, consumer protection, and administrative law. He previously served as legislative counsel to the Council of the District of Columbia’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment, where he drafted major consumer protection and regulatory legislation, aided in the creation of a new regulatory agency, and advised on general agency and budget oversight. Travis also served as a financial regulator with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), investigating complex white-collar crime, and as an assistant attorney general in the New York State Office of the Attorney General, handling civil rights and consumer protection matters. He also teaches as an adjunct law professor at American University Washington College of Law. Travis is a graduate of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law and received a degree in financial economics at Binghamton University.

  • Gretchen Nygaard

    Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation

    Gretchen is an experienced litigator, legal advisor, and litigation technology specialist. She started her legal career as a litigation associate in Washington DC at Squire Patton Boggs. For the past decade she’s served as a Trial Attorney at the Department of Justice’s Civil Tax Division, managing a wide-ranging docket of cases in federal district, bankruptcy, and appellate courts across the country, representing the United States in high-profile matters, and serving as lead counsel on complex disputes - from tax fraud cases to injunction suits targeting abusive tax shelters and promoters. In addition to her trial practice, she advanced to leadership roles within the DOJ. She served as the National Subject Matter Expert for the Attorney General’s eLitigation Initiative, chaired the Civil Tax Division’s ESI Working Group, and was a go-to advisor on eDiscovery issues. She has served as a subject matter expert at a range of conferences and trainings, both within DOJ and with outside audiences, including federal district and magistrate judges at the Electronic Discovery Institute & Federal Judicial Center Sixth Annual Judicial Training Symposium. She also was selected as a Member of the Sedona Conference Brainstorming Group on Electronic Information in Government Proceedings. Gretchen grew up in Lynchburg, Virginia and credits her great education at E.C. Glass High School. She is a proud graduate of the University of Virginia twice over - receiving her J.D. in 2011 and a B.A. in Comparative Literature in 2006.

  • Allyson Kurzmann Tysinger

    Deputy Attorney General for Health, Education, and Social Services

    Allyson received a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Wake Forest University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After starting her career with the North Carolina Department of Justice, she transitioned to private practice for a few years before returning to public service in 2001 when she joined the Health, Education, and Social Services Division of the Virginia Office of the Attorney General (OAG). Since 2010, she has served as the Section Chief of the Health Services Section, where she specializes in health and disability law, confidentiality law, and health policy and planning. During her time at the OAG, she has advised state decision makers on significant issues of public health concern such as transformation of the behavioral health and developmental disability services systems, the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid crisis, oversight of providers serving vulnerable populations, and reproductive health. She has worked with state executive leaders, legislators, agency personnel, and stakeholders to develop and implement legislative, regulatory, and programmatic solutions to public health challenges; managed complex institutional reform litigation; and advised state agencies to ensure compliance with laws governing the transaction of public business.

  • Helen Hardiman

    Deputy Attorney General for Public Advocacy Division

    Helen Hardiman is a civil-rights and public-interest lawyer who has spent her career using enforcement, policy, and impact litigation to deliver results for communities. Her work has concentrated on fair housing and disability rights, with a consistent emphasis on turning legal protections into real-world access and compliance. As founder and principal of Hardiman Law PLLC, she represented individuals and organizations seeking practical, durable remedies for housing discrimination, including policy changes and improved compliance. Previously, Hardiman served as a Trial Attorney in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of General Counsel, supporting fair housing enforcement and compliance nationwide. In that role, she advised Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity offices across the country, drafted legal opinions and regulatory guidance, and counseled Department leadership on high-impact fair housing issues. Prior to her federal service, Hardiman served as an Assistant Attorney General and policy advisor in the Virginia Attorney General’s Office. There, as counsel to the Virginia Real Estate and Fair Housing Boards, she worked on fair housing cases in all corners of the Commonwealth. Hardiman also investigated and enforced anti-discrimination rights under Virginia’s Human Rights Act. As part of the AG’s executive policy team, she advised Virginia leaders on housing policy and helped advance key expansions of the Virginia Fair Housing Law, including protections for sexual orientation, gender identity, and source of funds. Hardiman has served in public leadership roles, including appointments to the Virginia Housing Commission and the Virginia Board of Housing and Community Development. She holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and a Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University, bringing a problem-solving, people-centered lens to public advocacy.

  • Jae K. Davenport

    Deputy Attorney General for the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Division

    Jae K. Davenport brings more than two decades of experience in Virginia law, criminal justice, and public safety to her appointment with the Office of the Attorney General- Elect. She began her career as a public defender, representing clients in all types of criminal matters, including appeals in City of Franklin, Southampton and Isle of Wight Counties. She mentored and supervised new attorneys and advanced to a deputy in just a few years. She subsequently served with the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission as the Standards of Practice Enforcement Attorney for Indigent Defense Counsel and Legislative Advocate, where she began working closely with the General Assembly and criminal justice and public safety stakeholders. She also became the training attorney--developing new training programs for attorneys, mitigation specialists and investigators and increasing access to indigent defense counsel across Virginia. Jae K. has held senior legal and executive positions in two gubernatorial administrations. Under Governor Ralph Northam, she served as Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, where she oversaw public safety agencies. Her work had a diverse focus including supporting public safety officials, sentencing policy, corrections and reentry, firearm violence prevention, diversion, and behavioral health treatment. Previously, under Governor Terry McAuliffe, she served as Deputy Counsel, advising the Governor and executive branch agencies on legal, regulatory, and legislative matters, including those affecting public safety and criminal justice. Throughout her career, Jae K. has worked extensively with courts, prosecutors, defense counsel, law enforcement, corrections officials, and legislators. Her experience spans courtroom practice, executive agencies management, and statewide public safety administration. Jae K. holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Economics from Mary Baldwin University and a Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law. She resides in Richmond, Virginia. Her career is defined by a commitment to strong public safety and collaborative leadership across the criminal justice system.

  • Randall Eads

    General Counsel

    Randall C. Eads is an accomplished attorney and executive leader with extensive experience in public service, government law, criminal law, and complex legal and policy matters. He has served as City Manager and City Attorney for the City of Bristol, Virginia, since 2017, where he has advised elected officials, managed multidisciplinary teams, and provided strategic counsel on issues affecting local government with statewide impact. Mr. Eads’ professional background spans constitutional and administrative law, economic development, public finance, land use, regulatory compliance, and litigation strategy. He has played a central role in negotiating major public-private partnerships, overseeing large-scale infrastructure and redevelopment initiatives, and guiding governmental entities through high-profile legal and policy challenges. His work frequently involved coordination with state Cabinet members, state agencies, legislators, regulators, and private stakeholders. Throughout his career, Mr. Eads has been recognized for his leadership within the legal community. In 2025, he was honored as a Leader in the Law by Virginia Lawyers Weekly, an award that celebrates attorneys whose accomplishments include outstanding contributions to the practice of law and leadership within Virginia’s legal community. Mr. Eads earned his Juris Doctor from Mississippi College School of Law and holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in History from the Virginia Military Institute and in Economics from the University of Tennessee. He is admitted to practice law in Virginia, Tennessee, and Mississippi.

  • Rachelle Hunley

    Senior Director of Programs and Outreach

    Rachelle Hunley is a violence prevention leader and Hampton Roads native with more than a decade of experience helping communities across Virginia and nationwide thrive safely and equitably. She began her career developing youth programs and community services in Richmond and Chesterfield before leading hospital and community-based initiatives at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she helped launch and support hospital-based violence intervention programs across the state and oversaw survivor services in Greater Richmond, ensuring community voices guided every strategy. She also helped found and co-chairs the Virginia Community Violence Coalition, driving statewide, community-centered strategies to prevent violence and strengthen neighborhoods. At Brady, Rachelle directed the Combating Crime Guns program, focusing on reducing the flow of illegal firearms, and later served as Senior Director of Strategic Engagement, where she led innovative efforts to hold industry actors accountable for fueling violence and crime while connecting community-driven prevention strategies with policy and institutional action. Throughout her career, she has leveraged deep knowledge of Virginia’s landscape and partnerships, centering collaboration, evidence-informed approaches, and solutions grounded in the experiences of communities and survivors.

  • Kareem Ihmeidan

    Outreach Director

    Born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Ihmeidan holds a Bachelor's degree in Energy Management from the University of Tulsa, where he served as Student Body President. He also earned a Master’s degree in Sustainability Management from American University’s Kogod School of Business, where he founded and served as Editor-in-Chief of the Kogod Sustainability Review. After his time in Tulsa, Ihmeidan’s family moved to Hardy, Virginia, in Roanoke County, which he proudly calls home. During the Biden–Harris Administration, Ihmeidan was accepted into the White House Internship Program where he interned in the Office of Domestic Climate Policy. He was later appointed to the White House Council on Environmental Quality as a Staff Assistant for Environmental Justice, where he supported stakeholder engagement and the implementation of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. He concluded his tenure at the White House in January 2025 as Staff Assistant and Scheduler to the Chair of CEQ. Following his service in the administration, Ihmeidan joined Attorney General–elect Jay Jones’ campaign as Special Assistant and Operations Director, working closely with community partners across the Commonwealth. He is currently supporting the Attorney General–elect’s transition efforts.

  • Sadie Gary Kawugule

    Legislative Director

    Sadie Gary Kawugule has a decade of experience across government, legislative advocacy, and public affairs. She most recently served as Senior Media Relations Specialist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond where she supported external engagement and strategic communications. Prior to joining the Federal Reserve, she spent four years lobbying on behalf of Virginia’s Electric Cooperatives focusing on energy policy, infrastructure investment, and issues affecting rural communities. Sadie has also served as Chief of Staff to a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and as Deputy Director of Scheduling for Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe. She is a graduate of Virginia Tech.

  • RaeAnn Roca Pickett

    Communications Director

    RaeAnn is a strategic communications leader with more than 15 years of experience advancing consequential public policy priorities and heading up advocacy campaigns with statewide and national impact. For six years she directed comprehensive communications strategies for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia and The Virginia League for Planned Parenthood, playing a critical role in securing reproductive freedom across the Commonwealth. RaeAnn’s career includes senior leadership roles at some of the nation’s top advocacy and public affairs organizations. She has served as Public Relations Manager at Child Care Aware of America, Director of Communications and Public Affairs at National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, and Senior Associate at SKDKnickerbocker. Raised in Fremont, Ohio, RaeAnn earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in political science from Ohio Northern University.