Chief Financial Officer/Assistant Cabinet Secretary Sarah Long
Effective November 7, 2017, Sarah Long was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer for the State of West Virginia and Assistant Cabinet Secretary for the Department of Administration. A Certified Public Accountant, Long has spent many years in the public sector. A native Charlestonian, she went to Charleston Catholic High School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Marietta College in 1993, double majoring in Accounting and Management.
Upon graduation, Long worked in the private sector at a national "Big Four" accounting firm specializing in auditing governmental agencies, including the overall audit of the State of West Virginia. She began her public service career as a financial consultant for the Finance Division where she served as Interim Chief Financial Officer for the Public Employees Insurance Agency. She then became Deputy Director and Chief Financial Officer for the Board of Risk and Insurance Management. Prior to her current appointment, she was Deputy Treasurer for the State Treasurer, overseeing the cash management function for the State of West Virginia.
Director of Finance, Melody Duke
Melody Duke was named the Director of Division of Finance on March 17, 2025. Ms. Duke served as the Executive Director for the Board of Risk and Insurance Management (BRIM) from April 2022. She also held positions as the Deputy Director (2020) and Underwriting Manager (2014). Ms. Duke is a tenured employee of state government with nearly 31 years of service.
Her previous positions include Controller for BRIM from December 1994 to May 2013 and an Accountant Auditor with the Department of Administration from June 2013 to December 2014. Ms. Duke is a 1996 graduate of West Virginia State University with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a 2012 recipient of a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Accounting. Ms. Duke is involved with the State Risk and Insurance Management Association (STRIMA) where she has served as the President and is currently the Treasurer. She was born in Iowa but has lived in West Virginia since 1974.