CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s new commissioner of tourism says her passion is the Mountain State.
“It’s living in West Virginia and promoting all that is good,” Amy Shuler Goodwin told MetroNews shortly after her appointment by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin Thursday afternoon. “It is so easy to take a look around and see how many wonderful things we have. I’m just excited to have the opportunity to make this my full-time job.”
Goodwin has been Tomblin’s communications director since Feb 2012. Before that she led the press office for former Gov. Bob Wise.
She is married to U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. They are both state natives.
“My husband Booth and I try to show to our children every day that our playground is literally our backyard, the next county over,” she said. “We bike, we fish, we climb, we hike.”
Goodwin will take over for longtime Tourism Commission Betty Carver who is retiring after nearly 40 years in state government. She officially begins June 1. Gov. Tomblin made Goodwin both tourism commissioner and deputy commerce secretary.
“Like many, I have been continually impressed by Amy’s energy, talent and passion for improving opportunities for our state,” Tomblin said in a news release. “Everyone who knows Amy personally and professionally, as well as those who will meet her as she travels across the state, will immediately recognize why I’m pleased she decided to take on this important role [as tourism commissioner].”
Goodwin said she plans to hit the ground running.
“I’m happy to have this opportunity to show to everybody else why I love the Mountain State and why growing a business, a family, in West Virginia is the best place to be,” she said.