Director of Public Works
and the Executive Team
Dexter White
Director, Department of Public Works
Dexter C. White is the Director of the City of Richmond’s Department of Public Works. Mr. White oversees all functions within the department, including Operations, Civil Infrastructure, Capital Projects, Finance, and Public Information. Mr. White also worked in this capacity in the City of College Park, Georgia, as well as Macon, Georgia. He has extensive experience in the development of Capital Improvement Programs, Landfill Operations, and Recycling Programs. Prior to working as Public Works Director in Macon, Georgia, Mr. White gained experience in Solid Waste Management as the Solid Waste Director of Augusta and Dougherty County, Georgia. Dexter White received a B.A. in Political Science from Fort Valley State College, and a Master of Public Policy and Administration from Mississippi State University. He’s also earned an Army Commendation Medal and a diploma from the School of Air Defense Artillery.
Letitia Shelton,
Deputy Director for Finance Administration
Letitia Shelton is the Deputy Director for Finance Administration. She oversees the financial operations (accounts payables, general accounting, procurement services, budgets and grants) and the Capital Program. It is her responsible to ensure the department stays within budget by implementing internal goals and constraints and by monitoring all appropriation statements on a monthly basis to control expenditures. She has worked for the City of Richmond nearly 11 years in both Public Works and Public Utilities. She is a graduate of Averett University with a Bachelor in Accounting and a Masters in Business Administration.
M.S. Khara,
Capital Projects Administrator
M. S. Khara is the Capital Projects Administrator in DPW. He is responsible for managing and administering design and construction of roadway, bridge and streetscape projects funded through City, State and Federal funds. He also manages ‘Urban Construction Initiative’ for the City of Richmond. He is responsible for delivering safe, efficient and effective transportation projects on time and within budget. Presently he is also overseeing ‘Permit & Right-of-Way Management’ and ‘Facilities CIP’ functional areas. He has over 24 years of experience working with State, County and City governments. He has been working with the City for 13 years. He received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in Chandigarh, India and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Virginia.
Tom Flynn,
City Transportation Engineer
Thomas E. Flynn, P.E. is the head of DPW’s Transportation Engineering division. He manages a planning, engineering, and operations staff of 45. His team is responsible for City roadway operations, signals, signage and pavement markings. Prior to joining the City of Richmond in 2007, Mr. Flynn was Transportation Program Director for Draper Aden Associates for six years. Prior to this position, he was the Vice-President of Wilbur Smith Associates. Thomas Flynn holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Duke University, and a M.S. in Civil Engineering specializing in University Transportation from North Carolina State University. He holds Professional Engineer certification in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina.
Beverly Anderson,
Administrative Services Manager
Beverly S. Anderson serves as the Administrative Services Manager for the Department of Public Works. She is responsible for managing human resources and employee relations. She has been a City employee for 27 years. Beverly is currently seeking a Master’s Certificate in Human and Organizational Learning with The George Washington University. She earned her Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Averett University. Her professional organization memberships include The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), The National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) and The Richmond American Society for Training and Development (RASTD).
Sharon North,
Public Information Manager
Sharon North serves as the Public Information Manager for the Department of Public works. In this capacity she is responsible for all internal and external communications; public relations; media relations; publicity; departmental newsletter and web content. She is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years experience in print, broadcast and new media. She has worked at CNN in Atlanta, ABC in New York and in various local television markets. She came to DPW in August 2008 from a contract position as a Health Communications Specialist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Sharon holds a Bachelor of Arts in Speech-Telecommunication from Youngstown State University and a Master of Arts in Mass Media Communication from the University of Akron. Office: 804-646-5607
Jackie Howie, CPS/CAP
Executive Assistant to the Director
Jackie Howie serves as the Executive Assistant to the Director. She is responsible for managing the Director’s appointments, all correspondence to and from his office, receipt of departmental reports. She prepares the Director’s monthly report to the CAO, and receives/assigns/tracks service request escalations and citizen complaints to the Director. Jackie also leads the department’s Recognition Program and is the Project Manager for the department’s Re-Accreditation Project through the American Public Works Association. Office: 804-646-3702
Jan Person,
Administrative Program Support Specialist
Jan Person serves as the administrative support for the DPW leadership team. She is the initial contact citizens see upon entering the main DPW offices. Jan also answers the Director’s main phone line and implements the correspondence log and Director’s assignment log to ensure that citizens receive official response on DPW initiatives within 7 to 10 working days. Office: 804-646-6430