EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

William “Will” Drewery is the Emergency Management Coordinator for Isle of Wight County. A native of Franklin, VA., Will now resides in Sedley, VA. He is a 2007 graduate of Franklin High School and holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Homeland Security from Columbia Southern University. Will is also recognized by the Virginia Emergency Management Association and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management as a Professional Emergency Manager (PEM); fewer than 80 individuals across the Commonwealth carry this designation.

Will began his career of public service volunteering with Franklin Fire & Rescue in High School. A third generation firefighter, Will earned his initial certifications in firefighting and emergency medical services before graduating high school. Upon graduation, Will began working as a 911 Communications Officer with the Southampton County Sheriff’s Office in Courtland, VA. before going on to become the Senior Fire Communications Officer/Training Officer for the City of Richmond, VA. Department of Emergency Communications and eventually returning to our local area as an Emergency Communications Center Supervisor for the Isle of Wight County Emergency Communications Center. During Will’s time with the Communications Center here in Isle of Wight, he was responsible for managing several major projects including the deployment of Text-To-911, the creation of the Emergency Medical Dispatch Program, and a major rebuild of the county’s Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. Will is also credentialed as a Communications Unit Leader (COM-L) by FEMA and has been deployed in that capacity to many planned and emergency events across the Commonwealth.

Immediately prior to his current role with Isle of Wight County, Will served as the Public Health Emergency Manager for the Virginia Department of Health’s Western Tidewater Health District. Will’s primary responsibility was developing and maintaining the district’s All Hazards Emergency Response Plan. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Will lead the Health District’s response including the management of case and contact investigations, mass and community based testing events, mitigation efforts, and eventually the distribution of nearly 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Will was recognized by Inside Business as one their “Top 40 Under Forty” in 2020 for his work with the Health Department

In his free time, Will continues his service to the community which he calls home and volunteers his time to the Franklin-Southampton County Fair where he is the main stage entertainment co-chair; he has served in this capacity since 2009. He also enjoys spending time at the beach, specifically Tybee Island, Georgia.