Chelsea Ruby

Secretary of Tourism Chelsea Ruby is Governor Jim Justice’s only female cabinet member and the only member of his cabinet under age 40. For this trailblazer, showcasing the beauty of West Virginia for the world to see is a labor of love and one that she pursues with personal enthusiasm. The Norman, OK, native’s best childhood memories involve travel.

“I’ve always loved to explore new places,” Ruby says. “That is what drew me to this job. Travel inspires memories, and our job at the West Virginia Department of Tourism is to help people find those memories they’ll never forget.”

Ruby moved to West Virginia from Washington, D.C., in 2010 when she and her husband, Steve, a Lincoln County native, decided they wanted time and space to raise a family.

“We couldn’t find this kind of lifestyle on the Beltway,” Ruby says. “We traded in our 45-minute commute for a five-minute commute. Behind our house is a trail that leads to a hidden waterfall, something we surely wouldn’t have had in Washington, D.C.”

Ruby began her professional life in the Mountain State as executive director of the West Virginia Sesquicentennial Commission, where she oversaw the state’s 150th birthday celebration.

“Planning that celebration was a huge honor and gave me an up-close look into the passion West Virginians have for their state,” she says. “I remember standing on the Capitol steps listening to 30,000 people singing ‘Country Roads’ and knowing this was my forever home.”

She has also served as the director of marketing and communications for the West Virginia Department of Commerce where she earned numerous state and local marketing awards, and later as the state’s tourism commissioner.

In March 2021, Ruby was appointed the state’s first cabinet secretary of the West Virginia Department of Tourism, which marked the elevation of the West Virginia Tourism Office to a cabinet-level department. In this position, she leads all the efforts to unify and promote West Virginia and encourages tourists to come and make memories and industries to come and make the Mountain State their home.

Under her leadership, tourism has achieved several milestones. Traveler
spending in the state grew 9.9% in 2018-2019, and private tourism investment has grown to historic levels. Ruby credits the governor as her mentor and the state’s biggest tourism supporter. She says tourism unites West Virginians and gives them confidence in their state.

“We excel at so many things in this state, yet we dwell on the things that aren’t going right,” Ruby says. “In the last four years, I’ve learned that tourism is the one thing we can all agree on. Folks at every level of government in every corner of the state believe that tourism can help grow their local economies.”

Ruby also serves as board chair of Travel South USA and member of the Elk River Trail Foundation. Most recently, she became a member of the steering committee for the Ascend West Virginia program. In this role, she inspires metropolitan dwellers “It has been incredible talking to folks from around the country who are thinking about making the same move we made 10 years ago,” Ruby says. “I love hearing about their dreams of living in a slower-paced, mountain town. I tell all of them what an amazing decision it’s been for our family.”

Ruby and her husband live in Charleston with their two children, Robert and Caroline, who she considers her proudest accomplishments and her motivation.

“I couldn’t be prouder of my children—especially when they sing ‘Country Roads,’” Ruby says. “I pour my heart into my job because I want to see this great state continue to grow. I don’t want my children to have any doubts about staying here to raise their children.”