Oklahoma Emergency Management Director Annie Mack Vest will leave the agency Oct. 30 to return to the private sector, with Chief Operations Officer John Dean taking over as interim director.
Gov. Kevin Stitt announced the transition and credited Vest with improving disaster response and coordination with federal agencies and nonprofit relief organizations.
“She turned around an agency overburdened by bureaucracy and streamlined relief for Oklahomans,” Stitt said.
Vest joined the agency in December 2023 and helped guide the state’s response to tornadoes and wildfires. She also served on the Oklahoma Wildland Fire Response Working Group, which focused on improving coordination among agencies and state and local governments.
“Emergency management requires coordination at all levels of government, and his support has made that possible,” Vest said of Stitt.
Dean has worked in state emergency management roles since 2022. He previously served as a city manager in Oklahoma and Texas, helping communities navigate natural disasters, after a 20-year career in U.S. Army Special Forces.
Stitt said Dean’s relationships with local emergency managers, churches and nonprofits will help maintain continuity during the transition.
