Morrisey Announces First Appointments, Budget Concerns

Governor-elect Patrick Morrisey held a press conference Thursday and announced 15 appointments for his incoming administration. 

While Morrisey says “landing teams going through all the departments and major agencies” continue work, his transition team has begun naming officials who will lead the administration.

Thursday’s announcement spanned both the executive team, who will make up the governor’s office itself, and Cabinet heads, who will lead state agencies and departments.

“I think certainly everyone here reflects an important goal of the administration,” Morrisey said. “We want to make sure that the people coming on board are going to care about repurposing government and rightsizing government.”

Morrisey campaigned on a comprehensive audit of state government. On Thursday, Morrisey said he anticipated progress on the audit once assuming office but did not specifically lay out a timeline or name a leader for the process.

“We are not going to have the same number of departments that we have now, and we’re also going to be looking closely at the massive number of commissions that we have in place,” Morrisey said.

Morrisey said he intended to brief the press on budget issues during his first week in the office. He will be inaugurated Monday, Jan.  13.

In the meantime, Morrisey said his transition team had focused on appointments in energy and revenue.

Morrisey appointed Sen. Eric Nelson, R-Kanawha, as Secretary of Revenue and Majority Leader Del. Eric Householder, R-Berkley, as Secretary of Administration. They will leave vacant seats in their respective chambers.

“If revenue challenges are important for the state, and they are, you want someone who’s really going to be on top of it and knows where all the levers are,” Morrisey commented on Nelson’s appointment.

While expressing support for further tax cuts, Morrisey emphasized the importance of balancing the budget this upcoming fiscal year after outgoing Gov. Jim Justice’s series of tax cuts.

“There are no more federal monies just flowing in the door the way they have been in recent years,” Morrisey said. “This is different. So we have to fix the fundamentals, and we have to get it right.”

Federally, Morrisey reiterated his aim to collaborate with the incoming Trump presidential administration.

“Over the last month, I’ve had conversations with different cabinet [appointees] and with the President[-elect] and others because they’re excited about what we’re doing here in West Virginia,” Morrisey said.

Morrisey said he will continue to provide updates about future selections, aiming to continue as “accessible” to the press as governor.

Morrisey named the officials in a press release:

Executive Team

• Tom McCaffery, Chief of Staff
• Douglas P. Buffington II, Senior Advisor
• A. Todd Johnston, Deputy Chief of Staff and Chair of Energy, Infrastructure, and Competitiveness Council
• Sean M. 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
• Katie Franklin, Deputy General Counsel

Cabinet

• Sen. Eric Nelson, R-Kanawha, Secretary of Revenue
• Del. Eric Householder, R-Berkeley, Secretary of Administration
• Alex Mayer, Secretary of Human Services
• Harold Ward, Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection
• The Honorable Dianna Graves, Commissioner of Bureau of Senior Services