STATEWIDE — Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has picked Shawn Talmadge to serve as the new state coordinator for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM).
In this role, Talmadge will oversee the VDEM as it works with agencies at the federal, state and local levels as well as volunteer organizations to create plans in case of local and state wide emergencies.
VDEM is also in charge of staffing the Virginia Emergency Operations Center which coordinated response efforts and provide status reports to the governor during times of crisis.
Previously, Talmadge served as the Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security as well as the Governor’s Homeland Security advisor.
In those positions, he worked to expand emergency communication networks and emergency technologies throughout the commonwealth.
Talmadge has served within the emergency response and homeland security field for more than two and half decades at the state and local level as an incident commander, critical care paramedic, firefighter, and hazardous materials technician, ultimately achieving the rank of battalion chief in the Hanover County Fire-EMS Department.
