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Ruby leaving W.Va. Department of Tourism effective Aug. 1

Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced the impending retirement of Department of Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby in a statement Thursday. (Photo courtesy/West Virginia Governor's Office)

CHARLESTON – Chelsea Ruby has been synonymous with West Virginia tourism for nearly a decade, but having just planned the state’s America 250 celebration, she will be leaving her cabinet position at the end of the month.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Thursday afternoon that Ruby will retire as cabinet secretary of the state Department of Tourism effective Aug. 1. Ruby will work the next three weeks to help with the transition to a new secretary.

“I want to thank Chelsea Ruby for her years of leadership of the Department of Tourism and her service to the people of West Virginia,” Morrisey said. “I thank Chelsea for her accomplishments and appreciate her support during the transition to the new leadership of the Department. I am looking forward to building on the momentum of our tourism industry, which showcases West Virginia to visitors from across the country and around the world.”

Ruby has served in a tourism role since 2017 when former Gov. Jim Justice named her commissioner of the Division of Tourism. In 2021, the division was removed from the Department of Commerce, becoming the Department of Tourism with Ruby serving as its first cabinet secretary.

Morrisey retained Ruby as cabinet secretary upon taking office in January 2025. Last year, the Department of Arts, Culture and History was folded into Tourism.

“It’s been an honor to serve in this position for the past nine years, and I’m extremely proud of everything we’ve been able to accomplish with the help of many, many people who love this state,” Ruby said in a separate statement Thursday.

Under Ruby’s tenure, the total economic impact of tourism in West Virginia grew to $9 billion last year, with traveler spending outpacing national tourism spending. According to the department, visitor volume to West Virginia reached 77.2 million last year, with visitor spending increasing by 4.1% between 2024 and 2025 to $6.6 billion.

Ruby launched the Almost Heaven tourism brand campaign in 2018, using John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” to market the state’s outdoor recreation and historical sites. The Department of Tourism has won multiple awards for the campaign, including an ESTO Mercury Award and an Eddie Award.

The state’s tourism industry generated $1.1 billion in tax revenues last year, including a direct benefit of $619 million for state and local governments. Tourism jobs represented nearly 7% of all jobs in West Virginia. Since 2017, West Virginia also became home to the newest national park, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, which was named the No. 1 underrated destination for 2026 by U.S. News and World Report.

Prior to her time at Tourism, Ruby was the director of marketing and communications for the Department of Commerce and a communications staffer for former Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. Under Tomblin, Ruby served as executive director of West Virginia’s 150th birthday celebrations.

Nearly 15 year later, Ruby and the Department of Tourism helped plan West Virginia’s America 250 celebrations, including the four-day Capitol City Celebration, which saw thousands descend on the State Capitol Building for concerts, history exhibits and the world’s largest portable Ferris wheel.

“(The event) welcomed tens of thousands of visitors to the State Capitol Complex and celebrated our nation’s heritage in a way that made all West Virginians proud,” Morrisey said. “I am grateful for Chelsea’s role in helping make our America 250 program one of the absolute best in the nation.”

“With the America’s 250 celebration complete, I decided that now was the time to move on. I’m looking forward to what comes next,” Ruby said.

Morrisey said that Curtis Capehart, the governor’s director of policy, will serve as acting secretary of the department after Ruby’s departure until a permanent cabinet secretary can be appointed.

Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com.

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