Eagleville, PA (June 30, 2021) – Effective Monday, June 14, 2021, the Montgomery County Commissioners appointed Michael O. Vest as the Director of the Department of Public Safety. Director Vest has been serving as Interim Director since January 6, 2021, following the retirement of former Director Thomas M. Sullivan.
“For the past 12 years, Mike has served Montgomery County with accountability and integrity,” said Dr. Valerie A. Arkoosh, Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “As he has done for the past several months, I am confident that through his leadership, he will continue to be a valuable asset to the County in providing the highest level of public safety for our residents and visitors.”
“We congratulate and officially welcome Mike into this new role,” said Kenneth E. Lawrence, Vice Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “I can’t think of anyone else who is better suited to continue to lead our public safety efforts at this critical time.”
Director Vest started with the Department of Public Safety in 2009 after a 20-year military career in the United States Army in the fields of intelligence and aviation. He served two combat tours of duty in Iraq and was stationed in various other locations worldwide as an interpreter, strategic debriefer, liaison officer, flight operations officer, battle captain, and instructor pilot. Since 2012, Director Vest has held the position of Deputy Director of Public Safety. He most recently headed the Emergency Communications Division, overseeing a team of 150 9-1-1 telecommunicators and support staff that answered and processed 840,990 emergency calls in 2020.
Director Vest is bilingual in English and Korean. He holds a master’s degree in Emergency Services Management and a bachelor’s in Aviation Studies with a focus in the Korean language.
Contact: Todd Stieritz | Public Affairs Coordinator | (610) 631-6544 | tstierit@montcopa.org