Tomblin makes Development Office appointment

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has appointed an eastern Kanawha County native to a key position in the state Development Office.

Tomblin promoted Kris Hopkins to the head of the office’s Business and Industrial Development section Thursday. He’ll replace Mark Julian who recently took a job to lead workforce development with the state Community and Technical College system.

Gov. Tomblin said Hopkins, a Harvard graduate and native of Chesapeake, is a known commodity.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with Kris on several major natural gas projects, including the recruitment of the Wood County ethane cracker,” the governor said in a news release. “He is an extremely talented young man, and I’m confident he will be a tremendous asset as we continue our efforts to recruit world-class companies to the Mountain State.”

Hopkins began his career with the Development Office in 2005.

“We are thrilled that Kris has accepted this position,” Commerce Secretary Keith Burdette said. “Kris has a great vision for expanding our marketing efforts. He is a smart, forward-thinking leader and has been an indispensable part of our recruitment efforts. We are fortunate to have him lead our team, and I very much look forward to working with him in this new role.”

The appointment is effective immediately.