CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Governor Jim Justice has named a new Director of the Office of Drug Control Policy, as Dr. Stephen Loyd was appointed to the role on Wednesday.
Governor Justice says Loyd is a great man and brings a lot to the table.
“I think he is an incredible man, and he is going to be the Director of our Office of Drug Control Policy,” Justice said Wednesday. “I think you’ll find that he brings a lot of experience and a lot of stuff to the table.”
Loyd, the East Tennessee State University graduate, brings recent experience as the Chief Medical Officer at Cedar Recovery in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Before that stop, Loyd also served as Assistant Commissioner for Substance Abuse Services at the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Use in Nashville, Tennessee.
Loyd will be part of West Virginia’s attempt to fight drug abuse and the current opioid crisis in the state. Loyd has experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings related to addiction medicine, specifically treating pregnant women who are opioid dependent.
Justice says the drug epidemic continues to hurt West Virginia and beyond.
“It affects every last single one of us, and it’ still a bad situation in West Virginia, it’s a bad situation all the way across the globe,” Justice said. “We’ve still got tons of work to do.”
Justice says Loyd will be on board soon.
“We’re really excited about him coming on board,” Justice said. “His first day in the position will be August 12, so I know Stephen (Loyd) will do really great.”