Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's chief of staff, Charlie Lorensen, is stepping down, and communications director Chris Stadelman is taking over the job Friday.
Lorensen has served as chief of staff since April 2013. He previously served as West Virginia revenue secretary and tax commissioner. Earlier this year, the state Ethics Commission granted Lorensen an exemption to seek private employment with a state-regulated business without having to wait a year.
Stadelman has been Tomblin's primary spokesman since May 2014. He spent 20 years working for newspapers, including 10 years as a reporter and editor with the Charleston Daily Mail. Stadelman and his wife, Kelly, owned and operated the Parsons Advocate, a Tucker County newspaper, for seven years.
Tomblin's second and final term in office ends in January.