Lucia Schmit has been appointed the director of Snohomish County’s Department of Emergency Management.

Schmit has served as an emergency management leader at federal, state and local agencies, including time spent working internationally. She comes to the county from the City of Seattle, where she has worked since 2018 as the emergency planning coordinator.

According to a county announcement, Schmit will be responsible for ensuring the county and its community partners are prepared to collaboratively limit harm to people and property from a host of potential emergencies, including earthquakes, floods, wildfires, severe weather, and human-caused hazards.

“As we’ve seen over the last few years, Snohomish County’s Department of Emergency Management is a vital tool to help us respond to any disaster, from a global pandemic to floods and winter storms,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “Lucia will be a great asset as we work to make Snohomish County even more resilient and prepare ourselves for any future emergencies.”

Schmit was confirmed by the Snohomish County Council last week and is the department’s third director since it was created 17 years ago.