FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Chet Hunter, Director of the Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management, announces his resignation effective Aug. 26. He and his family will be moving to St. Louis, where he has accepted a position as the assistant director of emergency management for Washington University. Hunter joined the Office of Emergency Management as director in July of 2014, and is responsible for the overall operation of the office and supervising all command staff. He maintains the emergency operations center to ensure its successful activation during times of disaster, and coordinates with local and elected officials at the policy level in response to disaster. Hunter also ensures that emergency plans are in place for efficient and effective disaster response and recovery efforts. Prior to working for the Office of Emergency Management, Hunter served as the emergency management director for Lawrence County for five years. He also served in a public safety capacity as an emergency medical technician for Mercy Hospital for 13 years and as a captain with the Bolivar Fire Department. “Chet has directed the Office of Emergency Management with a great deal of distinction and dedication to his position. His understanding of the complex world of emergency management and his drive to ensure the office remains a leader in this region and throughout the state, and I would even say, the nation, is something the Commission greatly admires,” says Bob Cirtin, Greene County Presiding Commissioner. “We will miss him, and we wish him well on his new journey in St. Louis.” Hunter says the privilege of working with some of the best emergency management practitioners and in one of the most cutting edge emergency operations centers in the nation counts among the most rewarding highlights of his career. “To say that this office is unique in the world of emergency management would be an understatement. The level of experience and knowledge in the best practices of emergency management and disaster response that the staff here possess is a rarity I think you would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to work for the citizens of Greene County in this capacity,” he says. Hunter will begin his new position at Washington University on September 1. An interim emergency management director will be named upon his departure. ### For more information, contact Erin Hedlun, OEM Public Information Officer at 417-869-6040 or [email protected]/.