CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State School Superintendent Dr. Steve Paine says Clayton Burch, the new interim secretary of the Department of Commerce, will provide a steadying hand for the next month or so.
Gov. Jim Justice named Burch, the associate state superintendent of schools, to the post back on Friday after Woody Thrasher resigned as commerce secretary on Thursday after being asked by Justice to do so.
Paine said during an appearance on MetroNews “Talkline” Monday he expects Burch to be in the position for about 30 days.
“We don’t even portend for Clayton to be an expert in the area of business and commerce, that’s not his bailiwick, but he is a good manager,” Paine said.
Burch’s most recent job was as interim secretary of the state Department of Education and the Arts, helping the programs under that agency transition into other state programs after state lawmakers eliminated the cabinet secretary’s office earlier this year.
“He specializes in managerial functions,” Paine said. “He’s a good operations guy, he knows the grant-making process, he knows the finances and the personnel.”
Paine doesn’t expect Burch to be making any major decisions in connection with a couple of big issues Commerce is currently involved in.
“Things like the RISE (West Virginia) program or the China deal, those kind of things, will continue to be led by (state Adjutant) General (Jim) Hoyer with RISE or any kind of trade potential deals with China or otherwise will go to the governor’s office,” Paine said.
During an appearance last Friday on MetroNews “Talkline”, Justice was asked why he asked for Thrasher’s resignation.
“Just too many mistakes that’s all there is to it. It just became just ever so apparent from the standpoint of confidence and everything else. It just had to be,” Justice said. “It’s a tough decision. Woody is a good man. He stepped up to serve but just a lot of mistakes.”
The “mistakes” include those with RISE and another situation unveiled by the governor’s office last Friday in connection with the multi-billion dollar China economic development deal.