Lauren Opett, State Coordinator

Lauren Opett was appointed in 2026 by Governor Abigail Spanberger to serve as the State Coordinator of Emergency Management for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She brings over twenty years of emergency management experience, guiding statewide preparedness strategy, overseeing critical operational direction, and coordinating integrated interagency operations.

Opett has extensive experience in emergency management, including over 15 years supporting operations within Virginia’s Emergency Operations Center as part of the Virginia Emergency Support Team. Prior to her appointment as State Coordinator, she held multiple senior leadership positions within VDEM, including Chief of Preparedness, Director of Strategic Communications, Senior Advisor, and Chief of External Affairs for the Virginia Emergency Support Team. In these roles, she was responsible for overseeing functions spanning planning, intelligence, communications, training, exercises, and legislative affairs.

Her experience also includes leading Joint Information Center operations during emergency activations, supporting statewide response efforts across multiple hazard types, and contributing to the development and implementation of emergency plans, exercises, and agency procedures. She has also instructed emergency management courses across the Commonwealth and supported agency initiatives focused on readiness, process improvement, and cross‑functional coordination.

Opett holds a Master of Arts in Emergency and Disaster Management, an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from Harvard Kennedy School, and a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Tech. Her professional certifications include Certified Emergency Manager, Virginia Professional Emergency Manager, and Master Exercise Practitioner.