A Lafayette County native is the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s newest communications chief for Troop A.

The patrol announced last week that Jessica Dillon has become the chief operator of Troop A Communications, based in Lee’s Summit. Dillon’s 22 years with the patrol have been spent in this department, starting out as a telecommunicator before receiving a promotion to radio operator in 2005. In 2015 Dillon was promoted to assistant chief operator.

Dillon was born in Lexington and is a graduate of Odessa High School and the Metropolitan Community College system. Her promotion to chief operator took effect Nov. 1.