Clerk of the Virginia House of Delegates and Keeper of the Rolls of the Commonwealth
G. Paul Nardo is the 23rd Clerk of the Virginia House of Delegates and Keeper of the Rolls of the Commonwealth. First elected by the 100 Delegates in 2011, he has served multiple terms as the body’s Chief Administrative Officer under four Speakers of the House. He also has held senior roles in Virginia’s Executive Branch, an independent state agency, and with the United States House of Representatives.
The position of Clerk of the House of Delegates dates to the founding of the first, permanent, representative English-speaking law-making body in the Western Hemisphere at Jamestown in 1619. Over four hundred years later, the Clerk remains responsible for ensuring that all constitutional, statutory, and policy requirements are followed when the House of Delegates conducts the people’s business, in addition to having many other duties and responsibilities.
Clerk of the Virginia House of Delegates and Keeper of the Rolls of the Commonwealth
As the administrative arm of the House of Delegates, the Clerk and the 35+ non-partisan, full-time professionals he supervises serve delegates and the public when the legislature is both in and out of session. The Clerk oversees the day-to-day operations of the House and is responsible for developing and managing its $40+ million annual budget. He also maintains official records of all legislative business, including: the constitutionally mandated Journal of the proceedings of the House of Delegates, the Acts of Assembly (which are the laws of the Commonwealth), legislative indexes and bill status information, and committee membership lists as well as public hearing and legislative meeting schedules. Further, the House Clerk’s Office receives reports of standing committees; coordinates the printing and distribution of bills, resolutions and amendments; prepares all legislation passed by the General Assembly for review and action by the Governor; and produces a wide variety of legislative resources, including House Floor Calendars each day of Session, a website, and educational publications and programs – including a Database of over 10,000 Members of the House who have served since 1619; and processes requests for and authorizes the use of legislative space in the Capitol, General Assembly Building and Old City Hall in and around Capitol Square. In addition, the House Clerk’s Office coordinates the scheduling of standing House committee and interim study commission meetings and provides public notice of meetings schedules throughout the year; administers the House Page Program (for 13- and 14-year old students during Sessions); and jointly administers the Capitol Tour Guides, which all promote greater awareness and understanding about the history of the Virginia State Capitol, civics education, and good citizenship. The House Clerk also provides Members of the House of Delegates with year-round office support services involving finance, payroll and benefits, technology and telecommunications, and procurement and logistics as well as facilities management. In recent years, he has led project management, in conjunction with his Senate counterpart, not only of the design, planning and building of the first purpose-built General Assembly Building on Capitol Square that opened in October 2023, but also the completely reimagined and highly engaging Capitol Visitor Experience in January 2026.
The staff of the House Clerk’s Office assists the Clerk in performing his many duties and responsibilities. With the Clerk, these full-time professionals, and the 170+ part-time staff he hires during Session, work to ensure the well-ordered, efficient and effective running of the historic institution that is the Virginia House of Delegates.
The House Clerk also is the Keeper of the Rolls of the Commonwealth. In this capacity, he certifies all Acts of the Assembly and other legislative records. Also, the Clerk is a member of several legislative branch agencies, including not only the Legislative Support Commission that oversees the Division of Capitol Police), but also government panels impacting the grounds and historic landscape surrounding the State Capitol, which is a National Historic Landmark designed by Thomas Jefferson and a popular tourist destination.
Mr. Nardo is a graduate of The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia with a degree in Government and studied abroad for a year at Bristol University in England. He is active in his community, having led the Rotary Club of Richmond as its 100th President, was honored as Rotarian of the Year in 2015, and serves on various other nonprofit boards and foundations. He is married to Mary Augusta Barham of Portsmouth, VA and has an adult son, Barham. He enjoys travel, history, music, being outdoors and is a certified Master Gardener.