Two new hires are making history in Henrico and Chesterfield counties.

Kimberly D. Conley has been appointed director of Chesterfield’s Community Engagement and Resources Department and Jelisa S. Turner is the director of Henrico’s new Department of Outreach and Engagement.

A graduate of Virginia State University, Conley is the first African American woman to hold the position. A lifelong Chesterfield resident, she has over 30 years of experience in county government. Her roles have included serving as a staff assistant for the Board of Supervisors from 1996 to 1999, assistant director of CER until 2021 and chair of the Chesterfield County Black History Month Celebration.

Conley was announced as the new director last Tuesday and assumed the role Saturday, Aug. 31. She will lead the department’s work assisting county residents, businesses and visitors through its multiple offices and connecting to the community and resources.

“I am so excited to move into this new role and to lead this great team of people in CER,” Conley said in a statement. “It’s been extremely rewarding to spend my career in Chesterfield County, and I am thankful that I get to continue to do that now and lead this fantastic department doing such important work engaging our community.”

Turner, meanwhile, was previously part of the Henrico County Division of Fire as their community assistance, resources and education program manager, a role she held since 2020. Her tenure saw her create a strategic plan for an alternative community-based response model for emergency services.

Turner also oversaw the Advocate for the Aging Office. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a master’s in gerontology and the University of Virginia with a bachelor’s in sociology.

Turner assumed her new role on Saturday, Aug. 24, and is responsible for promoting the well-being of county residents, ensuring county departments serve their needs through outreach and engagement and overseeing Henrico’s strategy for diversity, equity and inclusion.