THE ONE TO CALL

Jennifer Herrald Oakley

County Manager, Kanawha County Commission and President, Metro 911 Emergency Operations Center Board of Directors

SUPERPOWERS: Resilience and adaptability

For Jennifer Herrald Oakley, crises are opportunities to step up for the people she serves. “Emergency management—that’s where I thrive.” As county manager for the Kanawha County Commission and president of the Metro 911 Emergency Operations Center Board of Directors, she’s seen her fair share.

Oakley didn’t always know this was the path for her. She originally planned to be a teacher. A summer internship at the Kanawha County Commission during her undergraduate days changed her trajectory, revealing to her the direction she was meant to go in. “I loved it. I really enjoyed learning about politics, and the first election I got to participate in was the ‘hanging chads’ election of 2000. I was just amazed by the process, and I thought, ‘I want to do this. This is where I want to be.’”

At 30, she was the youngest county manager ever to be appointed to the position in Kanawha County. Oakley has thrived in leadership, seeing her county through many challenges over the years, including pandemic response, which saw her working more than 300 days in a row to serve the people and organizations under her care.

Of special importance to Oakley is the ability to mentor young women who work with the Commission office. She credits her own mentors, particularly Judge Duke Bloom and Judge Joanna Tabit, as foundational in her journey. “I like to work with those that are still in college and help make sure they are finding the right path for themselves.”

Right now, she believes she is where she was always meant to be. Eventually, she would like to circle back to the teaching she once studied, in order to both educate enthusiastic students at the college level and use her considerable experience to better inform the next generation of West Virginia’s leaders. —TWQ

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