Cheran Cordell Ivery Named As Replacement City Attorney In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandria will have a new city attorney in early 2024 to guide City Council and other city officials on legal matters.

On Tuesday, Alexandria City Council confirmed the appointment of Cheran Cordell Ivery as city attorney, effective Jan. 8, 2024. Ivery comes to Alexandria after serving as city attorney in Hampton, Virginia. A native of Palo Alto, California, Ivery held leadership roles in the City of Portsmouth over a decade, first as assistant city attorney. She has an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and Juris Doctor from the College of William & Mary’s Marshall-Wythe School of Law. She serves on the boards of Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast and GIRLS Club, a mentorship program for pre-teen and teenage girls and has three children.

"The City Attorney is one of the few positions across our organization selected by Council, which reflects the level of responsibility this role holds in the City," said Mayor Justin Wilson in a statement. "We are enthusiastic about Ms. Ivery joining the City and look forward to her counsel and leadership."

The current city attorney, Joanna Anderson, announced over the summer she plans to retire by the end of 2023. Anderson had been appointed as city attorney on Oct. 23, 2018 after serving as acting city attorney. Anderson's career started as a law clerk in the City Attorney's Office in 2001 was assistant city attorney from 2003 to 2005 and 2010 to 2016, then chief deputy city attorney from 2016 to 2018. She also worked at a law firm from 2005 to 2010.

The city attorney serves as the City of Alexandria's legal advisor, providing legal advice to City Council, the city manager and various boards, commissions and city departments. The city attorney drafts ordinances, contracts, deeds, leases and other legal papers, represents the city in civil court, handles Freedom of Information Act public records requests, and is an adjudicator for parking ticket disputes.