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Kayla Kessinger, a former West Virginia delegate representing Beckley from 2015 to 2022, has been appointed to be the new Secretary of Tourism for the state by Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
Morrisey said this is an opportunity to increase tourism but to also make sure the state encourages more people to move in and telling the economic development story.
Kessinger gave credit to the existing Tourism team.
“I think that in a lot of ways, they have put West Virginia on the map, not by pretending that we’re something that we’re not, but by really showing people who we are and who we’ve always been,” she said.
Tourism in West Virginia is estimated to contribute $9.1 billion annually to the state’s economy.
“A lot of people don’t realize the importance of that in tourism because you’re coordinating a lot of the local chambers, the convention bureaus, all the different people who make West Virginia special,” Morrisey said. “When West Virginia succeeds, it’s never just about one person, but usually there’s someone behind the scenes pushing, doing amazing things. Kayla’s experience, I think, makes her the best candidate for this job.”
The governor noted she worked on virtually all the major committees in the House of Delegates and rose in leadership to assistant majority leader.
“She knows how state government ticks. She has worked and she has built massive coalitions on issues West Virginians care very deeply about,” Morrisey said.
Kessinger is currently the state program director for Her Plan, a pro-life organization.
She said she is excited to help tell West Virginia’s story.
“I am convinced that West Virginians are the best storytellers,” she said. “Those of y’all who grew up in West Virginia, you know the best parts of your childhood were growing up sitting next to your grandparents and hearing them tell you the stories of growing up on Berry Mountain or down in Thurmond or wherever it is that they lived their childhood. And for generations, those stories have been passed around kitchen tables, front porches, and church pews. Maybe that storytelling capability comes so naturally to us as West Virginians because of the place that raised us.”
Former Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby stepped down in July after the America 250 celebration was complete.