The State National Guard's 1st Female General Is Now The New Head Of OEMC

By Sarah Gouda in News on Mar 30, 2016 7:41PM

Alicia Tate-Nadeau—the Illinois National Guard's first-ever woman general and the leader of the Federal Emergency Management Agency team working on the Flint, Michigan water crisis—has just been named the head of Chicago’s emergency-response office by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

According to a statement released by the Mayor’s Office earlier today, her title will be the very important-sounding Executive Director of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (perhaps better known as OEMC, the office is responsible for coordinating safety responses at everything from outdoor music fests to protests).

One look at Tate-Nadeau’s impressive work history, and you can see why Emanuel eyed her for the position. She has over three decades of experience dealing with national security, including working in Israel on behalf of the Illinois National Guard and serving in Iraq.

“Alicia Tate-Nadeau has spent her career looking out for others’ safety—whether as a soldier on the battlefield or a public servant in government," Emanuel said in a statement. "She knows what it takes to coordinate policies, programs, and planning to keep people safe and to keep cities and communities operating smoothly. ”

When asked about how her gender factors into her accomplishments, she expertly evades any pigeonhole. She told DNAinfo last year that, "I never wanted to be the best female officer. I wanted to be the best officer."

Tate-Nadeau will replace former marine Gary Schenkel, who is set to retire after recently suspending two dispatchers for failing to send police to Quintoinio LeGrier’s home after he called in twice for help. When officers were dispatched after a third call, they fatally shot the 19-year-old student and his neighbor Bettie Jones.

Since the event, Emanuel has mentioned combining the police and fire academies into one cutting-edge facility. The mayor told the Sun-Times “I’ve been looking at it for a while. I’ve thought about a modern public safety training facility that not only consolidates, but saves money, is more efficient and gives you the type of place that prepares both police and fire,”.

Emanuel went on to clarify that the financial backing for such an endeavor was still in the works. With Schenkel retiring, it will be Tate-Nadeau who will see that project to fruition—all while working to keep the people of Chicago safe and sound.