Morrisey names former member of WV House to lead state tourism agency
Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Tuesday that Kayla Kessinger, a former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, will take over as secretary for the state’s Department of Tourism following the departure of Chelsea Ruby.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Tuesday that Kayla Kessinger, a former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, will take over as secretary for the state’s Department of Tourism following the departure of Chelsea Ruby.
Ruby resigned from the position last month after serving as tourism secretary since 2021. Ruby stayed with the office through the end of July and Curtis Capehart, Morrisey’s director of policy, has served as the acting secretary since Aug. 1.
Kessinger previously served in the state House of Delegates representing Fayette County. She was first elected to the body in 2014 when she was 21-years-old, and served until 2022 when she did not run for reelection.
During her time in the House, Kessinger was a devout anti-abortion advocate, speaking regularly on the floor and in committee meetings in favor of legislation to limit access to abortion.
She previously voted against making exceptions in state code for victims of rape and incest to receive abortions, sponsored numerous bills throughout her tenure in the House limiting access and funding for abortion patients and, ultimately, voted in support of legislation in 2022 that ended the right to most abortions in the state of West Virginia.
Kessinger currently works as the state program director of Her PLAN, an anti-abortion organization that serves people facing unexpected pregnancies through its “pro-life safety net.”
Last August, Kessinger was appointed by Morrisey to join the state’s Ethics Commission. In May, Morrisey also named her to his America 250 Task Force, which assisted in planning the America 250 festival held over 4th of July weekend at the state capitol.
In a news release Tuesday, Morrisey said Kessinger is “the right person” to build on the state’s “tremendous” momentum in tourism.
“She knows West Virginia, understands our communities, and shares our commitment to telling the story of what makes this state so special,” Morrisey said. “Kayla will bring strong leadership and a fresh perspective to an outstanding team that is already producing record results.”