Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Secretary of Commerce and Trade, Correspondence and subject files, 1998-2002. Accession 38946, State Records Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Transferred from the Office of the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, 11 January 2002.

Biographical/Historical Information

In 1970, the Governor's Management Commission Study recommended the creation of six "Deputy Governors" assist the Chief Executive in his managerial duties, compatible functions of government were grouped under these administrative heads, who would serve as the Governors top management team or "secretariats," as they are called now. The General Assembly in 1972 created six Secretariats positions initially. As government reorganized, that number fluctuated when government agencies expanded or consolidated.

The office of the Secretary of Commerce and Resources was established in 1972 and was responsible for the areas of economic development and natural resources. In 1986 this secretariat was dissolved and split into two separate offices, the Secretary of Economic Development and the Secretary of Natural Resources. In 1994 the name of the office was changed from the Secretary of Economic Development to the Secretary of Commerce and Trade.

The Secretary of Commerce and Trade is appointed by the governor and serves as a member of his cabinet. The Secretary of Commerce and Trade's chief responsibility is to manage the direction of several state agencies that are concerned with the development of commerce and economic development throughout the Commonwealth. Some of the agencies reporting to the Secretary of Commerce and Trade include: Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Department of Business Assistance; Virginia Economic Development Partnership; Department of Labor and Industry; Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy; Virginia Employment Commission; Virginia Housing Development Authority; Department of Professional and Occupational Regulations; Department of Housing and Community Development; Milk Commission; Department of Minority Business Enterprise; Department of Forestry; Virginia Port Authority; Virginia Racing Commission; Virginia Resource Authority; and the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

Barry E. DuVal was appointed Virginia's Secretary of Commerce and Trade by Governor James S. Gilmore on January 5, 1998. Secretary DuVal graduated from James Madison University, and from 1983 until 1996 served as co-founder, president and principal broker of DuVal Associates, a diversified real estate firm. In 1988 he was elected to the City Council of Newport News and was elected Mayor in 1990, and was re- elected in 1992

Scope and Content Information

The records of Secretary of Commerce and Trade Barry E. DuVal consist of constituent correspondence and general correspondence and a subject files from the agencies under the administration of the secretary.

Series I: Constituent correspondence, 1998 Feb-2001 Dec. The constituent correspondence series contains letters and e-mail to the Governor's Office that were referred to the Secretary of Commerce and Trade for response, and some letters addressed directly to the office of the Secretary, on a variety of topics, including employment, housing issues, business opportunities, consumer complaints, animal rights, tobacco settlement, tourism and disaster relief. Files include original letters, referral slips containing customer contact information and tracking information, and copies of the response letters. Arranged by outgoing tracking/routing number.

Series II: Agency correspondence and subject files, 1998-2000. This series contains incoming and outgoing correspondence, reports, briefing binders, minutes, meeting and conference materials, publications and other records related to the agencies under the supervision of the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, including the Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Dept. of Business Administration, Dept. of Housing and Community Development, Virginia Housing Development Authority, Dept. of Labor and Industry, Milk Commission, Dept. of Mines, Minerals and Energy, Dept. of Minority Business Enterprises, Virginia Racing Commission, Virginia Resources Authority, Virginia Tourism Corporation, and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (includes sub-series for Development Projects, Governor's Opportunity Fund, International Relations and Trade, Tourism Projects, University Programs and Virginia Film Office). Arranged alphabetically by agency.

Some of the records in this series predate the tenure of Secretary DuVal as far back as 1991 and additionally cover the administrations of Secretary of Economic Development Lawrence H. Framme, Secretary of Economic Development Cathleen A. Magennis, Secretary of Commerce and Trade Robert T. Skunda, and Secretary of Commerce and Trade Robert J. Stolle. These records apparently had been retained for continued use by the Office of the Secretary of Commerce and Trade.