Chris Connealy was appointed Tuesday by the Williamson County Commissioners Court to serve as senior director of Emergency Services effective July 16. Connealy is filling the position left vacant following the retirement of John Sneed in April 2018. Connealy has more than 40 years of experience in emergency service and currently serves as the Texas State Fire Marshal, the chief fire investigator in the state. Prior to that, he served as the fire chief in Cedar Park for eight years. In 2006, the Cedar Park Fire Department was named the top first responder agency in Texas by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The Cedar Park Fire Department also was named the Top Workplace in 2010 and 2012 by the Austin American-Statesman. Prior to his appointment in Cedar Park, Connealy served as fire chief over the Houston Fire Department supervising more than 4,000 employees. During his tenure in Houston, he commanded the response to Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 and helped establish the new Combined Emergency Dispatch facility in Houston which opened in 2003. Connealy holds a master’s degree in executive fire service leadership from Grand Canyon University and a bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University. “I look forward to the opportunity to lead emergency services in Williamson County toward continuous improvement, a positive work environment, outstanding customer service and striving to exceed best practices,” Connealy said.