Chesterfield County selects new Emergency Communications Chief
VENN
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Chesterfield County has selected Mary Bowman, who has served as acting Chief of Emergency Communications since June 2025, as its new chief.
On Wednesday, Jan 28, Chesterfield County announced in a press release that it had selected Mary Bowman as the new Chief of Emergency Communications (ECC). Bowman has over 27 years of experience and has served as acting chief since June 2025.
Bowman had first joined the county as a 911 dispatcher before being promoted to assistant shift supervisor, training facilitator and operations manager.
“Mary has deep, firsthand knowledge of emergency communications and understands the critical role our ECC staff plays as the public’s first contact in the event of an emergency,” said Col. Frank Carpenter, chief of the Chesterfield Police Department. “The ECC chief is an essential partner to the leaders of our public safety agencies. Chief Senter, Sheriff Leonard, and I have the utmost confidence in Mary’s ability to build upon the exceptional customer service our ECC professionals provide to Chesterfield residents every day.”
The release described Bowman as a thoughtful leader who excels at balancing accountability with care for all her employees' physical and mental well-being.
“I’ve been on the front lines of Chesterfield’s 911 response and recognize the awesome responsibility of being on the phone with somebody in an emergency situation,” she said. “I’m passionate about fostering a positive workplace culture rooted in trust, respect and resilience. Our ECC must be a place where all employees feel valued, supported and empowered to succeed.”
She holds certifications as a Communications Center Manager, Emergency Numbers Professional and Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies Accreditation Manager.
Bowman is also an active member of the National Emergency Numbers Association and the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO), and even serves on Virginia's APCO Legislative Committee, per the release.
