Adam Woodard Selected as City’s Emergency Management Director

Adam Woodard Selected as City's Emergency Management Director

7/29/2026

Today, Mayor Monroe Nichols announced that a 28-year veteran of the Tulsa Police Department (TPD), Adam Woodard, will serve as Tulsa's first Emergency Management Director.

In June, the City established the Department of Emergency Management (COT-OEM) to create a dedicated department responsible for coordinating emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience efforts for the City of Tulsa.

Woodard will officially start in his new role on August 23. The City's Public Safety Commissioner, Laurel Roberts, will continue to serve as interim director until that time.

"Adam's leadership marks an important milestone for our city as we build out Tulsa's first Department of Emergency Management," Mayor Nichols said. "I'm excited to welcome him into this role and look forward to the work ahead as we strengthen our city's ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies."

Woodard has served as a Tulsa police officer since 1998 and has been part of TPD's Incident Management Team (IMT) since 2004. Woodard is certified by the Oklahoma Incident Management Team as a Type III Incident Commander and a Type III Planning Section Chief, giving him the knowledge and expertise to manage large scale incidents, such as tornados, earthquakes and floods.

"Adam brings an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience to this role," Commissioner Roberts said. "Having worked alongside Adam for years, and in seeing his ability to lead under pressure, Adam has the ability to navigate some of our community's most complex emergencies. His experience, dedication and extensive emergency management training make him exceptionally well qualified to lead Tulsa's first Department of Emergency Management, and I can't think of a better person to build this department and help prepare our city for whatever lies ahead."

The City of Tulsa's Emergency Management Director is responsible for the development and maintenance of the City's emergency management functions while coordinating with federal, state and other local partners. The director is also responsible for coordinating and directing the planning, organization, and implementation of local emergency management activities for the City of Tulsa with the appropriate internal and external partners to keep Tulsa on the forefront of emergency management needs.

"I'm excited for the opportunity to continue serving the people of Tulsa in this new role and help build the City's first Department of Emergency Management," Woodard said. "As I close this chapter with the Tulsa Police Department, I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have served alongside so many dedicated professionals and to have been part of helping our community through some of its most challenging moments. I look forward to building on those experiences as we strengthen Tulsa's preparedness, response and recovery efforts for years to come."

During his time at TPD, Woodard has been deployed to assist with multiple natural disasters, including Hurricane Sandy in New York, Hurricane Irma in Florida, and Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. Locally, Woodard has led TPD IMT and has served in the emergency operation centers during national, state, and local incidents.

Woodard holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Northeastern State University and has completed advanced FEMA Incident Command System trainings.