Leesburg Fills New Emergency Management Coordinator Position

LEESBURG, VA — The town of Leesburg hired a Loudoun County government official to serve as its emergency management coordinator, a new position that will oversee the town's emergency preparedness and incident response efforts. Joseph Dame will start in the new position on Jan. 27 after working for the Loudoun County Office of Emergency Management, where he most recently served as the assistant coordinator of operations, overseeing the emergency operations center, training, and exercise program and technology systems supporting response.

The new emergency management coordinator position was authorized by the Leesburg Town Council as part of the town's fiscal year 2020 budget. The day-to-day emergency management program has been handled as an additional duty by the Leesburg Police Chief. Due to the growth of Leesburg over the last 20 years, "this approach is no longer a best management practice," Leesburg Town Manager Kaj Dentler said Jan. 9 in a statement.

Prior to joining the Loudoun Office of Emergency Management in 2015, Dame worked for Loudoun County Fire and Rescue from 2006 to 2015, holding a variety of roles, including firefighter, station officer and department staffing officer. From 2002 to 2006, Dame served with the Susquehanna Township Emergency Management Agency, just outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Dame has a bachelor's degree in management from Pennsylvania State University and a master of public administration from George Mason University. He is credentialed as a Professional Emergency Manager by the Virginia Emergency Management Association and has completed the National Emergency Management Basic Academy through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"After a nationwide search that included a deep pool of highly qualified candidates, and an intensive interview process, I'm pleased to announce that Joe Dame will be joining our team," Dentler said. "Mr. Dame demonstrated throughout the interview process that he was not only well qualified for the position, but deeply knowledgeable and integrated into the local, regional, and statewide emergency management programs which will greatly benefit the Town of Leesburg as the first person to serve in this position."