Kena Cofield Jones to serve as Human Resources Director

Rocky Mount, N.C. — Rochelle Small-Toney has announced the hiring of Kena Cofield Jones to serve as Human Resources director for the city of Rocky Mount.

“Kena Cofield Jones is the consummate professional and will start this role on May 11, 2020,” said Small-Toney. “With over 30 years of experience in Human Resources management, Jones has a breadth of knowledge in all aspects of human resources, including pay classification, benefits administration, employee relations, worker’s compensation and safety, as well as employee development and recruitment.”

Jones is an Adjunct Faculty member at Trinity Washington (D.C.) University’s School of Professional Studies where she provides classroom instruction on Business Administration and Human Resources for undergraduate and graduate students.  Recently, she served as a member of the executive leadership team for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services – Division of Public Health where she led, mentored, coached and developed the human resources team.

Jones has held numerous Human Resources positions with the D.C. Government Department of Human Resources, including Senior Advisor; Associate Director for Human Resources Solutions Administration; Associate Director of Business Operations; Supervisory Measurements, Analysis & Planning Specialist; Human Capital Manager; and Supervisory HR Specialist.

Local government is not new to Jones, who has held numerous managerial positions with the City of Richmond, Virginia for 16 years. While with the City of Richmond, she served as the City Manager’s Chief of Staff, Human Resources Manager and held numerous other human resources positions.

Jones holds a master’s degree in Business Management from the University of the District of Columbia, a master’s in Philosophy from Walden University, and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Virginia State University. Jones also holds designations as a Certified Public Manager and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

Her starting annual salary with the city of Rocky Mount is $140,000.

About Rocky Mount

The city of Rocky Mount, located in the Coastal Plains of North Carolina, was incorporated in 1867 and lies in Edgecombe and Nash Counties. Rocky Mount is a two-time, All-America City on the Tar River. Serving as the Gateway to Eastern North Carolina, the city’s 875 employees serve approximately 58,000 residents daily.

The city’s mission is to advance community well-being, safety and quality of life by delivering excellent public services and actively collaborating with the community towards a fulfilling and inspired future for its citizens. As a publicly-owned utility, the city of Rocky Mount is committed to safe, reliable service for its customers and operates in Nash and Edgecombe counties, providing customers with electricity, natural gas, water, wastewater (sewer), refuse, recycling and/or stormwater services. To learn more, visit www.rockymountnc.gov for news and updates.