CHARLESTON, W.Va. — House of Delegates Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, announced Monday three members of his leadership team for the upcoming Legislature.
Taylor County Delegate Amy Summers will become the next majority leader, Delegate Kayla Kessinger of Fayette County will be the next assistant majority leader and Jefferson County Delegate Paul Espinosa will serve as majority whip.
“Republican leadership has made great strides to improve our state since taking over the Legislature in 2015, and now I’m looking to assemble a team of people that can build on that foundation and take us to a new level of prosperity,” Hanshaw said in a statement. “Amy, Kayla and Paul are committed to moving our state forward, and have shown repeatedly over the last few years that they have the energy, passion and command of the issues to help effectively lead our caucus in the coming years.”
Summers, first elected in 2014, will become the first Republican woman to serve as majority leader of the House. She currently serves as vice chairwoman of the House Health and Human Resources Committee and is a member of the Agriculture and Natural Resources, Judiciary and Political Subdivisions committees.
Kessinger, also first elected in 2014, is vice chairman of the Committee on Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse and is a member of the Energy, Judiciary, Small Business Entrepreneurship and Economic Development and Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security committees.
Kessinger was the second-youngest member of the state Legislature when she was elected.
Espinosa, first elected in 2012, is the chairman of the House Education Committee, and also serves on the Finance, House Rules, Roads and Transportation and Small Business Entrepreneurship and Economic Development committees.
Hanshaw said in a press release more leadership positions and committee appointments will be announced “in the coming days.”