History Made In Suffolk: First Woman and African American Will Hold Office as Suffolk Commonwealth’s Attorney

Suffolk, VA
For the last 44 years, the city of Suffolk has been under the same leadership in the Commonwealth’s Attorney Office. Narendra Pleas, age 42, has now officially made history as the First Woman and African American to hold office as Suffolk Commonwealth Attorney.

Narendra Pleas currently serves as a Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney in the City of Norfolk.  Prior to working in Norfolk, she worked in the Suffolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Office as a Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney, and as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for Sussex County as well as the City of Emporia/Greensville County. 

Pleas received her Juris Doctor from Indiana University and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Political Science from Agnes Scott College.  She is a graduate of Green Run High School in Virginia Beach and the Governor’s School for the Arts in Norfolk.   Pleas currently serves as a volunteer for the Western Tidewater Medical Reserve Corps as a medical volunteer.  Most recently, this involved preparedness for COVID-19 responses, including performing contact tracing to assist local endeavors to help curb the spread of COVID-19.  However, in the past, it has consisted of assisting the Western Tidewater MRC at events and volunteering at the Virginia Dental Association Foundation’s Mission of Mercy, which offered free dental care to those who could not otherwise afford dental care.