Carmichael heading to West Virginia’s Commerce Department
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CHARLESTON -- Mitch Carmichael, the former president of the West Virginia Senate, is joining Gov. Jim Justice's economic team, though the announcement came quicker than state officials had planned.
According to the state's online phone directory, Carmichael is listed as the new executive director of the West Virginia Development Office within the Department of Commerce. As of Wednesday afternoon, the phone directory entry for Carmichael was still online.
The directory change was first noticed by WV MetroNews reporter Brad McElhinny, who asked Justice about it during Wednesday's coronavirus briefing.
"I don't know that we have officially announced that yet," Justice said. "We feel like Mitch can be a terrific asset there, and he will become our economic development director. We feel like with his stuck-on 'on' personality and everything that he can really bring some real umph to us there."
Carmichael was a senator from Jackson County from 2013 to until his defeat in the 2020 Republican primary by school teacher Amy Grady. He has been Senate president since 2017 after former president Bill Cole lost a 2016 election for governor.
Carmichael previously served in the House of Delegates from 2001 to 2013.
In his work life, Carmichael is the business development manager for Bridgeport-based internet service provider Citynet. He previously worked in external affairs at Frontier Communications. At one point, Carmichael was also rumored to be the next chief of staff to Justice. After Mike Hall retired from the position, Justice general counsel Brian Abraham was tapped for the chief of staff role.
A request for comment from Carmichael was not returned. A request for comment from Michael Graney, the current executive director of the West Virginia Development Office, was not returned. It was not clear when Graney was planning to leave and Carmichael would start. Graney just chaired a meeting of the West Virginia Economic Development Office on Tuesday.
Carmichael's appointment would also involve him answering to Ed Gaunch, secretary of the Department of Commerce. A former Republican state senator from Kanawha County, Gaunch was appointed to the Department of Commerce role in 2018 after his re-election loss. A request for comment from Gaunch was not returned.
Justice, who just won a second term as governor, said 2021 would see an increased focus on economic development to take advantage of recruiting people leaving other states for more rural states with outdoor recreational activities. Justice said he would release more details during his State of the State address when the Legislature reconvenes on Wednesday.
"What we're doing is trying to break out and be more efficient on our economic development," Justice said. "At the end of the day, what we want to do in West Virginia is lots and lots and lots of good things, but we need to constantly work on economic development, expanding tourism, and expanding diversification. We've got announcements on tourism that will come real soon. I was really going to do that in my State of the State."
Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com.