TOPEKA — Jeanny Sharp has been named the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Director of Communications by Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz. In her new position, she will lead the communication team members at Headquarters in Topeka and at the District offices across the state.

Previously, she was Public Affairs/Communications Director for the Kanas Department of Corrections. Before joining the State of Kansas, Sharp was in the print, digital and special event media business. She served as editor and publisher of the Ottawa Herald for more than 16 years. Most recently she was the marketing solutions director for the Hutchinson News as well as Regional Sales Director for GateHouse Media for numerous publications in central and western Kansas.

“It is an honor to work with the professional team at KDOT who are working hard to accelerate planned transportation projects,” Sharp said. “I’m excited to be part of the talented communications team at KDOT, which are essential to keeping Kansans informed on transportation highways, byways and ways to keep them safer while navigating the Sunflower State.”

A native of Manhattan, Sharp has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas and master’s in business administration from Ottawa University. She is a board member of the Kansas Newspaper Foundation and is a past president of the Kansas Press Association. She was honored with the Gaston Mentoring Award from the Kansas Press Association in 2012 for her commitment to training the next generation of journalists.