West Virginia Insurance Commissioner

Allan L. McVey
CPCU, ARM, AAI, AAM, AIS

Effective September 22, 2021, Governor Jim Justice appointed Allan L. McVey as the West Virginia Insurance Commissioner. Prior to this appointment, he served as Cabinet Secretary for the West Virginia Department of Administration. He also served as West Virginia Insurance Commissioner from April 1, 2017, to January 24, 2019.

In his role as Cabinet Secretary for Administration, Commissioner McVey was responsible for the 17 administrative agencies. Prior to his appointment as West Virginia Insurance Commissioner and Cabinet Secretary, Mr. McVey was a licensed insurance agent who served in several capacities during his long tenure in the insurance industry in West Virginia. His experience included a position as a Medical Claims Examiner with the West Virginia Workers’ Compensation Fund; an underwriter with a large national insurance company; since 1976, a licensed insurance agent and broker with several firms, both local and national; and sales and management of the West Virginia operations for a large national insurance brokerage firm.

Commissioner McVey earned a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration degree from West Virginia State University and has several post-graduate insurance designations. He served on several local boards.

Erin K. Hunter

Deputy Insurance Commissioner and General Counsel

Erin K. Hunter has served as Deputy Insurance Commissioner since April 29, 2019.  Erin has also served as General Counsel for the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner since March 31, 2018.  From January 25, 2019 through March 3, 2019, she also served in the role of Acting Insurance Commissioner. 

Erin was initially hired into the Insurance Commissioner’s Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement Division in 2012 as an associate attorney.  In that role, she handled a myriad of insurance related investigations and administrative proceedings, including consumer complaints, tax assessment disputes, financial solvency actions, company licensing actions, market conduct actions, and insurance agent/producer licensing actions.  As General Counsel, Erin provides legal advice to the agency and is charged with managing all legal issues affecting the agency, including general regulatory policy, outside litigation, administrative actions, public inquiries and outreach, state administered workers’ compensation fund claims, workers’ compensation employer compliance and enforcement, legislative developments and rules implementation, staffing for various boards and councils, Freedom of Information Act inquiries, and other agency personnel, administrative and contractual issues.  

Erin attended West Virginia University where she graduated with Bachelor of Arts degrees in English Literature and Political Science. She then attended West Virginia University College of Law where she received her Juris Doctorate degree in 2003.  Erin has continued her professional development by obtaining designation as a Professional, Academy of Healthcare Management (PAHM) through America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and received a certificate in Insurance Regulation through The Institutes.   She is continuing her professional development training and has also undertaken various other courses regarding flood insurance, insurance law, and workers compensation.  Erin resides in Hurricane, WV, with her husband and daughter. 

Melinda A. Kiss, CPA, CGMA

Melinda Ashworth Kiss is the Assistant Commissioner of Finance for the Offices of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) in Charleston, WV. Ms. Kiss is both a certified public accountant (CPA) and a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA). Ms. Kiss has been employed with the OIC since 2006, where she oversees the accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, investment and procurement functions of the agency. She also oversees the Workers’ Compensation Office of Employer Accounts, an area responsible for self-insurance regulation and employer compliance with WV’s workers compensation laws.

Prior to her employment with the OIC, Ms. Kiss served as the Chief Financial Officer of the WV Workers’ Compensation Commission and also worked in the private sector in public accounting.   A lifelong resident of West Virginia, Melinda was born and raised in Beckley, WV and is a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School. She attended West Virginia University and Concord University obtaining a Bachelor of Science Degree with an accounting major.  Melinda is a member of the State Society of CPAs, the Charleston Chapter of the WVSCPAs, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and serves as a representative on the WV Investment Management Board. She is a past recipient of the WV Society of CPA’s “Outstanding CPA in Government Award” and she is active in several charitable organizations.  She and her husband, Bob reside in Charleston with their two children.

Debbie Hughes

Debbie Hughes is the Human Resources Director for the WV Offices of the Insurance Commissioner.  Ms. Hughes has worked for the State of West Virginia for 26 years.  She began public service in 1992 for the WV Attorney General’s office in the Environment and Energy Division.  In 1995, the Division was moved in-house to the WV Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Office of Legal Services.  She began her human resources career in 2005 as the DEP’s EEO/Grievance Coordinator and Chief Privacy Officer.  She was promoted in 2008 to an Administrative Services Manager position, responsible for the daily operation of the DEP’s Classification and Compensation Unit.  She left DEP in July 2015 to accept the Human Resources Director position for the Offices of the Insurance Commissioner.  During her state tenure, Ms. Hughes has participated on several statewide projects, such as the Plans Project, wvOASIS HR/Payroll project, and several privacy initiatives.  She has conducted training in all facets of employment practices, such as equal employment laws, grievance procedures, hiring practices, privacy policies, classification and compensation plans, and Kronos timekeeping. 

Ms. Hughes has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and an Associate’s degree in Paralegal Studies from the University of Charleston in Charleston, West Virginia.  She currently resides in Charleston with her husband and son.