Kayla Kessinger of Mount Hope, who represented Fayette County in the House of Delegates from 2015 through 2022, was named the state’s new Secretary of Tourism and Arts and History on Aug. 18, 2026. Gov. Patrick Morrisey is shown at left.
Kayla Kessinger of Mount Hope, who represented Fayette County in the House of Delegates from 2015 through 2022, was named the state’s new Secretary of Tourism and Arts and History on Aug. 18, 2026. Gov. Patrick Morrisey is shown at left.
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE | Courtesy photo
Kayla Kessinger of Mount Hope, who represented Fayette County in the House of Delegates from 2015 through 2022, was named the state’s new Secretary of Tourism and Arts and History on Tuesday by Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
Morrisey introduced Kessinger in her new role during a news conference at the Capitol, saying she will assume her new position “during a unique place in time to tell the story of our state†and will help “make tourism an even more central part of our economic growth.â€
During her tenure in the Legislature, Kessinger’s committee assignments included serving on the House Judiciary, Education, Energy, Rules and Economic Development committees. A Republican, she served as the assistant House majority leader from 2018 to 2022. She was elected to office at age 21.
“She’s a daughter of West Virginia, she knows our state, has great organizing skills, and knows how state government ticks,†Morrisey said.
Kessinger, 33, replaces former Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby, who resigned her post in July after serving as head of the state’s Tourism operation for eight years under former Gov. Jim Justice, and then transitioning to Morrisey’s cabinet after he assumed office in January 2025.
Under Ruby’s leadership, the state’s tourism industry grew to the point that last year, it contributed $9.1 billion to the state’s economy, generating 61,000 jobs and attracting 77 million visitors.
Kessinger said being appointed to her new position “is an incredible honor, and I feel beyond blessed to stepping into a department that has accomplished so much in the past several years. It’s changed the way people see our state ... not by pretending we’re something we’re not, but by really showing people who we are.â€
Kessinger, a Liberty University graduate, currently serves as state program director for Her PLAN, a national anti-abortion support organization.
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