Justice planning “party for people of West Virginia” with inauguration

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The oath of office Governor-elect Jim Justice takes on the steps of the State Capitol Monday will formalize his transition more than 12 hours after he officially assumes the role.

Inauguration Day starts at 12 a.m. Monday, Jan. 16 when Justice is first sworn in as West Virginia’s 36th governor during a private ceremony at The Greenbrier Chapel with family members, his family minister, Rev. Greg Scott, and Raleigh County Circuit Judge John Hutchison, a longtime Justice friend.

“Dad always credits the good Lord for all of his blessings,” said Dr. Jill Justice, Justice’s daughter. “We thought, ‘What better place than to do it than at The Greenbrier Chapel.'”

Dr. Justice, who is president of The Greenbrier, is co-chairing the Justice Inauguration Committee along with her brother, Jay Justice, and their mother, incoming West Virginia First Lady Cathy Justice.

After the private swearing in ceremony early Monday, both Rev. Scott and Judge Hutchison travel to Charleston for Justice’s 1 p.m. Inauguration Ceremony at the State Capitol’s South Plaza.

Joining Justice in being sworn in will be the other members of the West Virginia Board of Public Works:

Secretary of State-elect Mac Warner, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, Treasurer John Perdue, Auditor-elect J.B. McCuskey and Agriculture Commissioner-elect Kent Leonhardt.

A ceremonial oath is planned for Supreme Court Justice Beth Walker as well.

Bob Cochran, a Justice friend and business associate, is Master of Ceremonies. Leading the Pledge of Allegiance will be elementary school students from Greenbrier County.

“We’ve tried to put special touches (into the ceremony),” Dr. Justice told MetroNews. “We’ve tried to do things throughout the whole event to make it personal, but still a great celebration for the state.”

After the ceremony, the elected officials take spots on a receiving line in the State Capitol’s Lower Rotunda and later attend a public reception at the State Capitol to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

All of the State Capitol events are open to the public.

The overall theme of the inauguration is “It’s West Virginia’s Time.”

“We view this as a huge pep rally for the big game,” Dr. Justice said. “We want our team — our West Virginians — we want to get excited for West Virginia’s next chapter.”

On Monday night, the focus shifts to Justice’s Greenbrier Resort, the host site for the 2017 Inaugural Ball.

Six West Virginia artists and one national artist are scheduled to perform.

Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr., Walter Scott Trio, Richard Hefner and the Black Mountain Bluegrass Boys, the West Virginia Jazz Orchestra and River Jam were previously announced performers.

The national act had not been announced as of Thursday morning.

“We’ve got different venues set up throughout the hotel in our public ballrooms and each venue has a different style of music and themed food,” Dr. Justice said of the ball plans. “I think it’s going to be a fun night.”

Past inaugural balls have been held in Charleston.

“The Greenbrier, obviously, is so near and dear to our hearts, our family’s hearts and Dad’s, but The Greenbrier itself is such a special place for West Virginia that we felt like it would be a great place to showcase the state,” she said of the move.

Tickets for the inaugural ball are $75 and available HERE.

Justice said the hope was West Virginians would join in the celebrations, both in Charleston and White Sulphur Springs.

“From Day One, literally, Dad said, ‘This isn’t a party for me, this is a party for the people of West Virginia,'” Justice said. “That’s how we’ve treated it.”





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