Jessica Loeper, New Hanover County’s chief communications officer, has been named an assistant manager for New Hanover County, according to a press release Monday.

Loeper has served as chief communications officer since 2019 and worked with the county’s communications and outreach department since 2016.

She will work with County Manager Chris Coudriet and with current Assistant County Managers Tufanna Bradley and Lisa Wurtzbacher. She picks up the role after Assistant County Manager Tim Burgess retired after working with the county for 11 years.

“Over the last seven years, Jessica has been at the forefront of guiding our county in communicating the initiatives, resources and ongoing projects that serve and enhance the quality of life in our community,” Coudriet said in the release. “Her leadership and breadth of knowledge about the work of New Hanover County is unmatched and we are excited to have her serving in this new role as an Assistant County Manager.”

She will manage departments and services offered by the county including Planning & Land Use, Soil & Water, Parks & Gardens, Arboretum, Recycling & Solid Waste, Cape Fear Museum and Public Library.

Loeper is a Wilmington native who graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications. She has a background in communications and nonprofit development in Wilmington and Charlotte.

“I am humbled to have this opportunity to continue serving our Board of Commissioners and the citizens of New Hanover County as an assistant county manager,” Loeper said in the release. “For the last seven years, I’ve been fortunate to develop relationships with so many people throughout our community and within our organization, as our communications team collaborated to share the important work going on in the county. I look forward to continuing to build those relationships and work alongside our amazing county staff to provide our citizens with the best resources and services available.”

Loeper graduated from WILMA's Leadership Institute, the UNCW/NHC SERVE Professional Development Academy and UNCW's Academy for Strategic Management. She is also a recipient of WILMA’s Women to Watch Award in the public service category and was selected by the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce and StarNews as a “40 Under 40” honoree.

WILMA magazine is a sister publication to the Greater Wilmington Business Journal.