County Council approves two promotions

Posted On: January 5, 2023

The Volusia County Council has approved the promotions of two employees to leadership roles within their divisions.

Joe King, who has been a firefighter for 32 years, has been named director and fire chief for Volusia County Fire Rescue, which has 221 employees and 19 fire stations throughout the county. He joined Fire Rescue in 2021 as deputy fire chief and was named interim director in July, when Howard Bailey retired. Previously, he worked for Flagler County Fire Rescue as deputy fire chief from 2017 to 2021 and division chief and fire marshal from 2013 to 2017. He also worked for the Ormond Beach Fire Department from 1990 to 2013, rising to the rank of captain.

King has a bachelor’s degree in fire administration from Columbia Southern University and an associate degree in fire science from Daytona State College.

After serving as the county’s assistant traffic engineer for the past 16 months, Jay Williams was tapped to head the Traffic Engineering Division. In his new position, he will oversee transportation planning, traffic studies and the construction, operations and maintenance of traffic signals for the county. Before joining the county’s staff, Williams spent 10 years with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), where he held various roles in the Traffic Operations Department. While there, he oversaw FDOT’s traffic signal system, managed transportation infrastructure and technology projects, and developed reports to improve roadway safety.

Williams received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Central Florida and is a registered professional engineer. He’s also a professional traffic operations engineer, certified traffic signal technician and certified public manager.

County Manager George Recktenwald noted that King and Williams are committed to public service and have proven track records in addressing community needs and improving services.