By Stephen Smoot
Governor-elect Patrick Morrisey last week announced an initial round of key appointments as his executive administration takes shape.
His executive team starts with Chief of Staff Tom McCaffrey, who was previously Assistant Secretary for health Affairs/Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Defense under President Donald Trump, and most recently was principal at Health Management Associates.
Morrisey also appointed Douglas P. Buffington as Senior Advisor. A. Todd Johnston Deputy Chief of Staff, Sean Whelan General Counsel, Curtis R. A. Capehart Director of Policy, Marissa Findlay Director of Operations, John L. Findlay Director of Intergovernmental and Political Affairs, Mike McKown Director of Budget. Crescent Gallagher Press Secretary, and Kate Franklin as Deputy General Counsel.
Appointments also went out for several appointed members of the Governor’s Cabinet. These include former Senator Eric Nelson as Director of General Revenue, former Delegate Eric Householder as Secretary of Administration, Alex Mayer Secretary of Human Services, Harold Ward Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, and former Delegate Dianna Graves as Commissioner of the Bureau of Public Services.
Other State executive offices fall under the purview of department secretaries and a commissioner elected by the people. Under the State Constitution, several elected department secretaries, the State Superintendent of Schools (appointed by the West Virginia Board of Education,) and the Governor are collectively called “The Board of Public Works.”
Also called Constitutional offices, the holders of each after last year’s State elections will be Secretary of State Kris Warner, Attorney General J. B. McCluskey, State Auditor Mark Hunt, West Virginia Treasurer Larry Pack (sworn in early for the sake of continuity of office when former State Treasurer Riley Moore took the oath of office for the United States House of Representatives,) Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt, and Michalle Blatt will remain State Superintendent of Schools.
Of his appointments, Morrisey was quoted in a release as saying “I am grateful to each of these leaders for their willingness and desire to bring opportunity and prosperity to the Mountain State. We are united in our mission of promoting and protecting the freedoms and rights of every West Virginian. When we work together, West Virginia wins.”