Governor Northam Appoints Erin Sutton as Chief Deputy State Coordinator for Virginia Department of Emergency Management

Published: October 5, 2020

RICHMOND—The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) is pleased to announce that Governor Ralph Northam has named Erin Sutton as Chief Deputy State Coordinator of Emergency Management for VDEM. Ms. Sutton has worked in the field of emergency management for the past 15 years, most recently serving as Director of the City of Virginia Beach Office of Emergency Management since 2014. She is only the 2nd woman in VDEM’s history to hold the position of Chief Deputy and is the first to have come from a local government.

“Erin Sutton’s extensive municipal government experience and skillset to handle major disasters, specifically here in the Commonwealth, makes her very well-suited to assume the duties of Chief Deputy,” said Curtis Brown, VDEM State Coordinator. “She is a well-respected, familiar face to many, and I have full confidence in her ability to help lead this agency.”

Prior to her role as Emergency Management Director, Erin also held positions with the Virginia Beach Department of Public Health, developing the Virginia Beach Medical Reserve Corps and leading the citywide pandemic planning effort as Emergency Planner. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Radford University and her Master of Science in Microbiology and Immunology from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She is a Certified Emergency Manager, Certified Floodplain Manager, and has her Project Management Professional certification.

“I am grateful to Governor Northam for this appointment,” said Erin Sutton. “I look forward to working collaboratively with all of our stakeholders and continuing the great work of VDEM in keeping the Commonwealth safe and prepared for any emergency.”

Erin succeeds Curtis Brown, who was appointed State Coordinator of Emergency Management at VDEM in June of this year.

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