Lt. Joan Chappelle was a longtime law enforcement officer in Cabell County.
Lt. Chappelle worked for the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department and was the first Black female lieutenant and road patrol commander in West Virginia. She served for seven years as the first Black female president of the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association in Cabell County. Lt. Chapelle was also a member of the executive board for deputy sheriffs in West Virginia for six years.
Lt. Chappelle was appointed by then Governor Cecil Underwood to serve on a Judicial Appointment Committee and was appointed by the West Virginia Supreme Court to serve on a Judicial Ethics Committee.
She taught corrections classes and was at one time the only recognized training officer for Cabell County.
Lt. Joan Chappelle also served on the Human Rights Commission.
