New Inspector General Appointed To W.Va. Homeland Security

Del. Mike Honaker, R-Greenbrier, has resigned his seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates to take a new position as Inspector General of the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security.

“Del. Honaker has dedicated his life to public service, and I am thrilled to announce he will be West Virginia’s new Inspector General,” Gov. Jim Justice said when he made the appointment. “With his extensive law enforcement background and passion for public safety, I am confident he will continue to serve our great state with honor and integrity.”

The Office of the Inspector General in the Department of Homeland Security was created during the 2023 Legislative Session following the passage and signing of House Bill 3360.

The purpose of the office is to conduct and supervise investigations among other tasks, including the authority to oversee and direct existing investigations and units within the department.

Honaker, a West Virginia native, served in the United States Marine Corps before a 28-year career as a Virginia State Trooper. During his career with the State Police, he achieved the rank of Lieutenant, and served as Special Agent in Charge of the First Division of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Richmond, Virginia.

Following his retirement, Honaker returned to West Virginia and was appointed to serve as the Greenbrier County Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and Director of the Greenbrier County 911 Center. 

In December 2021, Justice appointed Honaker to fill the vacant 42nd District House of Delegates seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates. He was then elected to the 46th District, encompassing Greenbrier and Pocahontas Counties following West Virginia’s redistricting.

Honaker formally resigned from the House of Delegates effective Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, at 5 p.m. to accept this appointment.

During his tenure, he served as vice chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, the Committee for the Judiciary, the Committee on Government Organization, the Committee on Jails and Prisons, and the Committee on Volunteer Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services. He also served on the West Virginia Legislature’s Fusion Center Joint Oversight Committee. 

Honaker holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration and is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. 

“I am honored by the opportunity to serve West Virginia in this new capacity and I thank the governor for his confidence in me,” Honaker said. “I look forward to continuing to support the state’s public safety efforts.”