California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday announced that Nancy Ward would lead the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
Ward will be the first woman in California history to hold the director’s position. She replaces former Cal OES Director Mark Ghilarducci, who announced his planned retirement earlier this year.
In a statement, Newsom called Ward a “seasoned emergency response veteran with decades of experience” and vowed that under her leadership, California would “remain ready to respond, no matter the crisis.”
