Jeanny Sharp, a sister-in-law to Doug Sharp of Hillsboro, is the new director of communications at Kansas Department of Transportation.

Jeanny is a native of Manhattan. She and her husband, Brian, live in Topeka.

Jeanny Sharp served as editor and publisher of The Ottawa Herald for more than 16 years. Most recently she was the marketing solutions director for The Hutchinson News as well as regional sales director for GateHouse Media for numerous publications in central and western Kansas.

Sharp was public affairs and communications director for the Kansas Department of Corrections before joining KDOT.

A native of Manhattan, Sharp has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas and master’s in business administration from Ottawa University. She is a board member of the Kansas Newspaper Foundation and is a past president of the Kansas Press Association.