Connealy Tapped As Williamson County Emergency Services Director

CEDAR PARK, TX —Williamson County Commissioners Court members has appointed Chris Connealy to serve as senior director of Emergency Services, officials announced Tuesday.

Connealy officially will begin in his new role on July 16. He fills a position left vacant following the retirement of John Sneed in April.

According to a county-provided biography, Connealy has more than 40 years of experience in emergency services, currently serving as the Texas State Fire Marshal — the chief fire investigator in the state. Prior to that, he served as the fire chief in Cedar Park for eight years. Under his leadership in 2006, the Cedar Park Fire Department was named the top first responder agency in Texas by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Prior to his appointment in Cedar Park, Connealy served as fire chief of the Houston Fire Department supervising more than 4,000 employees. During his tenure in Houston, he commanded the response to Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 and helped establish the new Combined Emergency Dispatch facility in Houston which opened in 2003.

Related story: Williamson County Emergency Services Director Sneed Retiring

Connealy holds a master’s degree in executive fire service leadership from Grand Canyon University and a bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University.

“I look forward to the opportunity to lead emergency services in Williamson County towards continuous improvement, a positive work environment, outstanding customer service, and striving to exceed best practices,” Connealy said in a prepared statement.

>>> Photo of Chris Connealy courtesy of Williamson County