Northampton County appoints Leslie Edwards as finance officer; new HR director introduced

The Northampton County Board of Commissioners voted to appoint Leslie Edwards as the county finance officer and heard an introduction of Renee Jewel Gillihan as the county’s new senior human resources director.

Leslie Edwards, who most recently served as finance officer for Hertford County, was formally nominated and approved during the meeting. A commissioner moved to approve Edwards for the Northampton County Finance Officer position; the motion was seconded and commissioners voiced their approval.

County leadership described Edwards as having prior experience with Northampton County finance operations and familiarity with the North Carolina Department of Revenue and auditing staff. “She has a wealth of experience in local government, finance,” the county manager said when introducing Edwards.

Commissioners also heard an introduction of Renee Jewel Gillihan. Gillihan was described as having prior experience in payroll and human resources, including as HR director for Jernigan Oil and prior county payroll work. The county manager noted Gillihan ‘‘brings a wealth of experience’’ to the HR director role.

The board’s formal vote to appoint Edwards was recorded by the chair as carried. No detailed roll-call vote tally naming each member was recorded in the transcript.

The county manager said department handoffs and onboarding for both hires would proceed immediately.