Education — Junior Achievement of Central Virginia

Junior Achievement of Central Virginia names new CEO

, and Citizen Staff Reports

January 9, 2026 . 9:36 AM

1 min read

Kelly Gee (Courtesy JA of Central Virginia)

Former Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia Kelly Gee has been named chief executive officer of Junior Achievement of Central Virginia.

Gee joins JACV with more than 15 years of executive-level public service, spent overseeing complex government operations, large-scale funding initiatives, and statewide stakeholder engagement. Her appointment comes as Junior Achievement of Central Virginia celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2026.

As secretary of the commonwealth for Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Gee oversaw a portfolio that included appointments for more than 3,000 individuals to state boards and commissions, clemency and constituent services, notary commissions, official filings and certifications, and served as liaison to Virginia’s tribal nations.

Previously, as executive director of the Virginia Lottery, Gee led a 400-employee agency during historic growth, achieving record sales of $4.6 billion and $867 million in profits for K–12 education. She also oversaw Virginia’s sports betting market, which exceeded $5 billion in wagers in a single fiscal year, and supported the opening of three of the state’s first land-based casinos.

Earlier in her career, Gee served as a senior staff member to leadership in the Virginia General Assembly, further grounding her experience in public policy, governance, and cross-sector collaboration.

In her new role, Gee will lead JA Achievement of Central Virginia, which provides hands-on financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurship education to more than 30,000 students annually throughout the Richmond region.

“The Board of Directors is pleased to welcome Kelly Gee as CEO of Junior Achievement of Central Virginia,” said Sherri Wyatt, Board Chair. “Her leadership experience and results-driven approach position JA for continued growth and impact as we proudly enter our seventh decade of service.”

Gee holds a bachelor of arts in government from the College of William & Mary and a master of arts in political science from Virginia Tech.