Seth Sawyer is the Emergency Preparedness Manager for the Chatham Emergency Management Agency, where he leads the Operational Readiness Division. Over the course of his career, he has served his community across multiple disciplines, including emergency and disaster management, fire and rescue, emergency medical services, behavioral health, and wilderness search and rescue.

Mr. Sawyer began his career in emergency management as an Emergency Management Technician with the Virginia Tech Office of Emergency Management, the first institution of higher education to receive EMAP accreditation. Following graduation, he served as the Disaster Program Manager for the American Red Cross of Southeast and Coastal Georgia. In that role, he directed relief operations for home fires, floods, wildfires, tornadoes, tropical storms, and hurricanes, and deployed in leadership capacities to disaster responses across multiple states.

Since joining CEMA, Mr. Sawyer has been promoted through several positions in logistics, operations, and planning before assuming his current role as the agency’s lead for operational readiness. 

Mr. Sawyer holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration and Policy, is recognized as a Demonstrated Master Logistician, and is a graduate of FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute Basic Academy. He is also a POST-certified instructor for the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, where he contributes to the training and professional development of emergency management practitioners across the state.