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Webster County Attorney Jennifer Benson is leaving the area to work for the Pottawattamie County Attorney's Office.
Benson will resign her position effective Jan. 14, she announced Friday.
"Serving as the Webster County Attorney has been the most fulfilling experience of my professional career," Benson said. "I was elected at a turbulent time for the office following significant turnovers in staff and leadership. It was a privilege to work alongside the other attorneys in the office as we worked to stabilize it.
"Each of the four assistant county attorneys currently in the office are very talented and passionate about prosecution. They seek to do justice each day, and I am proud of all that we were able to accomplish together. We worked to combat the most serious offenses, including violent, weapons-related offenses, and the exploitation of children. The office was successful during my term because we all shared the primary objective of making Webster County a safe place to live and work and raise families."
Benson thanked the citizens of the county for their support, saying it was an honor to serve here. She said leaving wasn't an easy decision to make, but she wanted to be closer to her family.
"I also look forward to working in the county that I grew up in," she said.
Benson said Iowa code requires the Board of Supervisors to fill the vacancy in her office either by appointing an attorney or by special election. The appointment must be made within 40 days of her resignation, she said.
Benson was elected to her position in November 2014, beating Republican Joe McCarville at the polls. Benson replaced county attorney Cori Kuhn Coleman, who resigned Aug. 29, 2014, to become assistant city attorney in Des Moines.
Benson had served as First Assistant Webster County Attorney since June 2013, and worked in that office since 2011. Before that, she was the Humboldt County attorney beginning in 2007.