County spokesman Michael Ryan announced to local Historic City News reporters that St. Johns County has named a new interim director and deputy director of emergency management, which is tasked with helping the county respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergencies.
Linda Stoughton retired this month as director after serving in the role since 2014 and after working for the county government for more than 30 years. She was always a friend to Historic City News and helped our subscribers stay informed even during major emergency events.
According to this week’s announcement, Joe Giammanco will take over as interim director, and Kelly Wilson will serve as interim deputy director. The county has not set a deadline for naming a permanent director or deputy director, Ryan said.
Giammanco began working as the county’s director of Disaster Recovery and Grants in 2017 as the county recovered from Hurricane Matthew. He retired from the U.S. Coast Guard after more than 23 years. He was a lieutenant commander, and his experience included planning for natural disasters and other emergencies.
He has a master’s degree in business administration and is studying for his doctorate in business administration with a focus on public administration.
Wilson began working for the county in 2006 as an emergency management planner and most recently served as emergency management coordinator. She has helped the county through Hurricanes Matthew and Irma, among other incidents.
Her background includes serving as a planner for the city of Key West, and she “specializes in Comprehensive Emergency Management Planning and Mitigation,” according to the county.
She has a master’s of science degree with a focus on environmental science.
“St. Johns County is confident in Giammanco and Wilson’s abilities to lead the community through the current health emergency, as well as future local disasters,” Ryan said.
