Emergency Management Agency Director Approved For Will County

WILL COUNTY, IL — Will County executives appointed a new director for the county's Emergency Management Agency. Allison Anderson will succeed the previous director who is retiring in March after 31 years with the agency, officials said Thursday.

"[Anderson's] experience and knowledge will provide stability, as well as offer a vision to move us forward," County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said in a statement.

The new director started working as an emergency response specialist for Will County in September 2013, serving in that role for a little more than a year before joining the EMA in December 2014. With the department, officials said she coordinated and developed strategic, operational and tactical plans for Will County's response to emergencies.

In her current position of deputy director, held since June 2018, Anderson manages the training and exercise programs, which are required annually by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other safety agencies.

"I am honored to be chosen to lead this agency and the dedicated team of professionals and volunteers who work hard to keep our residents safe," Anderson said in a statement. "Emergency planning is not something people think about every day, but we are always training and learning the best way to respond in any type of emergency. I will strive to keep Will County a leader in all our emergency responses."

Anderson holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and sociology from Northern Illinois University. She is a certified emergency manager with the International Association of Emergency Managers and received her Illinois Professional Emergency Manager's Certification in 2015.