CHARLESTON, WV — Today, Governor-elect Jim Justice announced that Chelsea Ruby will serve as his commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Tourism.
Ruby is currently the director of marketing and communications for the West Virginia Department of Commerce. She serves as the chief spokesperson for the department and manages its full-service advertising agency. Prior to joining the Department of Commerce, Chelsea worked in Governor Tomblin’s communications office and served as the executive director of West Virginia’s 150th birthday celebration.
Chelsea Ruby will spearhead the Justice Administration’s effort to grow tourism in West Virginia— a top priority for the Governor-elect. She will help Justice promote West Virginia to a broader audience, and market the state’s four beautiful seasons and prime location.
“Chelsea Ruby knows how to market and I know she will really help me aggressively market our state to get tourists from all over the world to visit West Virginia,” said Governor-elect Jim Justice. “Chelsea has the skills and the energy to help West Virginia reach its full potential in the tourism industry. She knows how to think big, and I look forward to working with her to increase tourism in our state. My goal is to make tourism an economic driver and bring jobs to West Virginia.”
“Governor-elect Justice is a genuine visionary when it comes to West Virginia tourism, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve as his Tourism Commissioner,” said Chelsea Ruby. “He has proven his ability to unlock our potential as a vacation destination, and with him shaping our tourism strategy, the rest of the country–and the world–will recognize just how remarkable our state is.”
Ruby continued, “West Virginia has received a double blessing when it comes to tourism: We are both America’s most beautiful state and its friendliest. Governor-elect Jim Justice knows that if you’ve ever ridden a West Virginia ridge line at sunset, or golfed our championship mountain courses, or rafted our rivers, or hunted our hills, or fished our streams, or skied our slopes in winter — that if you’ve ever spent a minute in West Virginia, you understand the magnificent corner of the world with which we’ve been entrusted. He knows better than anyone the limitless tourism potential we have here, and I’m excited to be a part of what he’s about to accomplish.”
Chelsea Ruby lives in Charleston, WV with her husband Steve and their son Robert. In 2014, Chelsea Ruby was named West Virginia Public Relations Society of America’s Young Practitioner of the Year, and was also in the Generation Next 2015 40 Under 40 Class.