Department Of Human Services Taps New Commissioner For Social Services

A new director will oversee social services in West Virginia after holding the role on an interim basis for several months.

The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS) has named Lorie Bragg as the state’s commissioner for social services, filling a vacancy left by the June 2024 departure of inaugural office holder Jeffrey Pack.

Bragg enters the role with more than 20 years of experience in “child welfare and social services,” according to a Wednesday DoHS press release. The state’s Bureau of Social Services oversees child welfare services like foster care, plus other services for families and adults in need.

Previously, Bragg served as a case aide for Child Protective Services and as deputy commissioner for the bureau. She helped establish the bureau’s placement division, which finds places to stay for youth in West Virginia’s foster care system, according to the press release.

The new commissioner is known for “bringing people together to build consensus, drive solutions and achieve shared goals,” the press release reads. “Her ability to listen deeply, respond thoughtfully, and lead decisively … [are] qualities that are essential as the Bureau continues its work to strengthen the state’s child welfare system.”

Bragg did not return email or phone call requests for comment on this story. The DoHS also did not respond to an email request for comment.

Bragg is the second person to serve as the bureau’s commissioner, after Pack took the role in 2021. Pack left his position to oversee the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services last year, after which former Gov. Jim Justice said the bureau would begin a search for his successor.