Morrisey floats consolidation of Departments of Art and Tourism, announces additional cabinet nominations
By Autumn Shelton, RealWV
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In light of the projected $400 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2026, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey, on Thursday, announced his plans to consolidate various departments and agencies throughout the state’s government. He also announced the names of six individuals whom he nominated to serve in Cabinet positions.
“Today, we are announcing that we’re planning to work with the legislature to merge the Department of Commerce and Department of Economic Development into one department,” Morrisey said. “We’ll also be seeking legislation to combine Arts, Culture and History with the Department of Tourism.”
According to Morrisey, he will propose additional consolidations in upcoming weeks as part of his move toward a more efficient government.
“The era of big spending is over. It’s over in West Virginia,” Morrisey continued. “The time for spending beyond our means is over. I think West Virginians sent a message when they sent Donald Trump to the White House in November. I think the same message was sent here in West Virginia when they elected me as governor.”
During a press conference on Jan. 14, Morrisey issued several executive orders which he said would “advance the priorities of the new administration”:
- Executive Order 1-25 establishes an “Economic Backyard Brawl” with neighboring states. It requires all Cabinet Secretaries and Department Heads to review taxes and fees and compare them with those of neighboring states “with the goal of making West Virginia the most attractive state to live, work, learn, play, and run a business.”
- Executive Order 4-25 states that because federal funding from Covid-19 is no longer available, or can be relied on, Cabinet Secretaries and Department Heads must review past, present, and future spending decisions. Expenditures over $100,000 must be reported to the Office of the Governor.
- Executive Order 5-25 directs all Cabinet Secretaries and Department Heads to “identify areas of inefficiency or wasteful spending in the operations of each agency and board therein.” The order states that all findings must be delivered to the Office of the Governor within 60 days.
“When state government runs in a leaner manner, when it’s more efficient, it’s more accountable and taxpayers save money,” Morrisey said. “When taxpayers save money, they have more money to go out to dinner. They have more money to buy clothes, take care of their kids, go shopping. I think at the end of the day we have to realize we are the steward of the taxpayers’ dollars. This is the people’s money, not the state government to just, kind of, lord over people and spend money all the time. We have to always put the taxpayers first.”
Morrisey also announced the following individuals to serve as Cabinet Secretaries:
- Dr. Matthew Herridge – Secretary of Commerce
Dr. Matthew Herridge is a business owner and currently serves as the WV GOP Chairman. After entering the business world in 2005 following a 10-year career in Clinical Psychology at the Charleston Area Medical Center and as a member of the WVU School of Medicine clinical faculty, he grew a family restaurant portfolio as well as a software development company creating solutions for the restaurant industry. Matthew currently lives in West Virginia and has been a lifelong resident of the state.
- Nicholas Preservati – Deputy Secretary of Commerce
Nick Preservati currently serves as the Director of the West Virginia Office of Energy, Acting Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Commerce, and Chairman of the West Virginia Public Energy Authority. With 30 years of experience in energy law, Nick has held senior legal roles at renowned law firms, American Electric Power, and multiple other energy companies. His expertise in both legal and energy sectors has allowed Nick to drive significant contributions to energy policy, business development, and regulatory initiatives.
- Chelsea Ruby – reappointment as Secretary of Tourism
Chelsea is being reappointed as the Secretary of West Virginia’s Department of Tourism and has led West Virginia’s Department of Tourism for the past eight years. In that role, she has overseen the state’s branding and marketing program and its efforts to attract and expand tourism businesses. Prior to that, she was Director of Marketing and Communications for the state Department of Commerce. Chelsea lives in Charleston with her husband and three children.
- Stephen Todd Rumbaugh – Secretary of Transportation and Commissioner of Highways
Stephen Todd Rumbaugh has over 30+ years of service for the West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) – Division of Highways. His career has covered an array of positions, including Construction Inspector, Designer, Area Supervisor, Staff Engineer, Regional Construction Engineer, Director of Contract Administration, and Chief Engineer of Construction. He has been involved in overseeing the largest highway program in many years and looks forward to the challenges involved in the oversight of the WVDOT as Secretary. He resides with his family in Eastern Kanawha County, where he was born and raised.
- Michael DeMers – Deputy Secretary of Transportation
Michael DeMers joins the West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) with over 17 years of experience managing transportation programs both as a State Department of Transportation leader and as a consultant to State DOT and private sector corporations. At the Missouri DOT, Michael served as a member of the statewide executive management team under Director Patrick McKenna. Prior public service also includes service in the Multimodal Planning Division of Arizona DOT. Michael earned a Master of Urban Planning degree from Harvard University in 2011 and a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University in 2006.
- Dr. Arvin Singh – Secretary of Health
Arvin Singh, EdD, MBA, MPH, MS, FACHE, brings extensive expertise in healthcare leadership, strategy, and acute/behavioral/ambulatory care. With prior roles including Vice President of Strategy and Communications for the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health and Chief Operating Officer for a Louisiana behavioral health network/FQHC, as well as internships at the U.S. House of Representatives, Executive Office of the President, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, he combines a deep understanding of healthcare operations with insights into federal policy. His diverse leadership background, advanced education, and transformative contributions to healthcare systems uniquely position him to advance West Virginia’s health initiatives effectively. Dr. Singh holds masters degrees from Brown University in Health Care Leadership, Penn State in Business Administration, and George Washington University in Public Health.
“It takes a very talented team to make West Virginia that ‘Shining State in the Mountains,’ Morrisey said. “All of these are individuals who will be joining the administration beginning either now or over the course of the upcoming weeks. These are terrific picks.”
On Dec. 2, Morrisey announced that Eric Nelson will serve as Secretary of Revenue, Eric Householder will serve as Secretary of Administration, Alex Mayer will serve as Secretary of Human Services, Harold Ward will serve as Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, and Dianna Graves will serve as Commissioner of the Bureau of Senior Services.
