Henrico County has appointed Ben A. Sheppard to serve as director of the Department of Public Relations & Media Services (PRMS), effective June 23.
Sheppard has served as assistant director of PRMS since 2016. He joined the department in 2004 as a media specialist and later served as a senior television producer/director and television and media services manager.
He will succeed Tamra R. McKinney, who retired after serving as director since 2002.
Sheppard will oversee a department responsible for promoting public awareness and understanding of Henrico’s government activities and policies. PRMS provides public relations and information; television services; and audio-visual technology support. PRMS has a 19-position staff and a budget of $1.8 million in fiscal 2017-18.
Sheppard earned a Bachelor of Arts in communication from Virginia Tech.
