Incoming West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey announces initial staff, cabinet appointments

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — Incoming West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey made the initial round of appointments in his administration public Thursday as he transitions into the new office.

During a news conference, Morrisey announced the appointments of the following people to his executive team:

* Tom McCaffery – Chief of Staff: Was assistant secretary for Health Affairs/principal deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Defense under President Donald J. Trump, and most recently was principal at Health Management Associates. McCaffery has run multi-billion dollar business units and has more than 30 years of executive experience in state and federal government, corporate, and policy space. He graduated with a Master of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley, and has a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame. He is also a Rotary International Scholar at Trinity College Dublin.

* Douglas P. Buffington II – Senior Advisor: Served as chief deputy attorney general under Morrisey, where he assisted with the oversight and management of attorneys and the office. Prior to the Attorney General’s office, he was the acting and assistant director of the West Virginia Lottery, and was Chief of Staff for the West Virginia Department of Revenue. He graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law and Baylor University. Buffington lives in Raleigh county with his wife.

* A. Todd Johnston – Deputy Chief of Staff and Chair of Energy, Infrastructure, and Competitiveness Council: Was most recently vice president and managing director of ConservAmerica, and has served in government, nonprofit, congressional and corporate roles leading on energy and regulatory issues. He also served as Staff Director for the House of Representatives Subcommittees on Energy & Environment. Johnston graduated from Hampden-Sydney College with a degree in political science.

* Sean M. Whelan – General Counsel: Most recently served as a deputy Attorney General and the division director for the West Virginia Attorney General’s Tax & Revenue Division. Whelan has represented state officials and agencies at various levels of the state and federal court system on tax, insurance and education matters. He graduated from the University of Kentucky’s J. David Rosenberg College of Law and Franciscan University. Whelan was raised in Nicholas County and today lives in Charleston with his wife and three children.

* Curtis R. A. Capehart – Director of Policy: Most recently served as deputy Attorney General in the Attorney General’s Main Office Division, responsible for complex litigation, including the state’s defense of the Save Women’s Sports Act and Unborn Child Protection Act. He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School and Marshall University. Capehart is a native of Winfield, where he now lives with his wife and two children.

* Marissa Findlay – Director of Operations: Has been a lifelong Republican operative and has worked with numerous presidential and statewide officeholders nationwide for nearly two decades. She currently serves as the president of the West Virginia Federation of Republican Women and the national committeewoman of the West Virginia Federation of Young Republicans. Findlay lives in Charleston with her husband and their four children.

* John L. Findlay – Director of Intergovernmental and Political Affairs: Most recently served as the Convention Delegate Selection Director for President Donald Trump’s successful 2024 presidential campaign. Findlay oversaw the victory program’s direct mail operations and implemented the campaign’s paid voter contact programs across the battleground states in the fall. He has more than a decade of experience managing Republican political campaigns and state parties including serving as the executive director of both the Republican Party of Virginia and the West Virginia Republican Party. He lives in Charleston with his wife and their four children.

* Mike McKown – Director of Budget: Was West Virginia’s Director of State Budget office from 2006-18, and has served the last three governors developing budgets. He has worked in six different state agencies in West Virginia state government, including most recently as Deputy State Auditor. McKown lives in Charleston with his wife and their four children.

* Crescent Gallagher – Press Secretary: Was the deputy state director for Americans for Prosperity-West Virginia (AFP-WV). Before joining AFP-WV, Gallagher served as the Director of Business Development and Communications, as well as the Legislative Liaison for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture under current Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt. He is a graduate of Ohio University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts and a master’s degree in public administration. Gallagher has more than a decade of communications, policy development and legislative experience.

* Katie Franklin – Deputy General Counsel: Has been an assistant Attorney General since 2021. Previously, she was assistant prosecuting attorney for six years and served four years as the elected prosecutor of Jackson County. A lifelong West Virginia resident, Franklin graduated from WVU College of Law in 2008.

The following people were appointed to roles in Morrisey’s cabinet:

* Sen. Eric Nelson – Secretary of Revenue: Was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 2020 after serving five terms in the House of Delegates. Most recently, Nelson was chairman of the majority caucus and the Pension Committee. He is also a successful small businessman and is the president of Nelson Enterprise, Inc. He graduated from Washington and Lee University with a degree in Business Administration and Accounting. Nelson and his wife reside in Kanawha County, where all three of his children graduated from Kanawha County public schools.

* Eric Householder – Secretary of Administration: Was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 2010, and served as chairman of the House Finance Committee from 2019-22. Most recently, Householder served as the House Majority Leader. In the legislature, he led on tax cuts, labor reform and the state budget. Householder graduated from Shepherd College and holds an MBA from Frostburg State University.

* Alex Mayer – Secretary of Human Services: Has over a decade of experience in Health and Human Services, holding leadership roles across multiple state agencies. Most recently, he served as the chief of Children and Family Services at the South Dakota Department of Social Services, where he oversaw the Divisions of Child Support, Child Protection, and Economic Assistance. His portfolio included vital programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, LIEAP and Childcare services. Mayer is a dedicated military veteran with service in the 75th Ranger Regiment.

* Harold Ward – Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection: Served as Cabinet Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) under Gov. Jim Justice and will be retained in that position. Previously, he served as WVDEP’s Deputy Secretary of Operations and Director of the Division of Mining and Reclamation (DMR). Ward holds a biology degree from West Virginia University.

* Dianna Graves – Commissioner of Bureau of Senior Services: Most recently served as the executive director of the Bob Burdette Center, where she led an education nonprofit in Charleston that provided free afterschool education programs. Prior to that, Graves was a delegate in the West Virginia legislature from 2017-22, an accountant, and television and movie producer. Dianna graduated from Stanford University and West Virginia State University.

Morrisey talked about each of the appointments during his new conference Thursday, including his pick for chief of staff, McCaffery.

“I think he’s a home run get for the state of West Virginia,” Morrisey said during his news conference. “I can’t imagine having someone with that kind of experience. He’s going to help the citizens of our state tremendously.”

The incoming governor said he’s been in contact with Senate president-elect Randy Smith about the cabinet position appointments, as they are subject to approval by the legislative body.

“I’m really enjoying the working relationship with Sen. Smith. I think he’s going to do a terrific job. I’ve certainly been talking with the speaker as well. I anticipate a good, close working relationship,” Morrisey said. “We have a lot of work to do in the upcoming months. It’s a thrilling time in West Virginia. I’m ready to make sure that everyone knows our team is second to none. That’s how we did really well in the AG’s office.”

Morrisey said more transition announcements, including more cabinet appointments, will be made in the days and weeks ahead.