Bad weather is bound to happen in paradise. When it gets really bad, there will be a new face leading Baldwin County's response team.

Baldwin County Commission recently appointed Tom Tyler as the new Baldwin County Emergency Management director.

Prior to taking on this role, Tyler served 32 years with the Alabama National Guard, with the last two decades serving active duty.

"Five of my last 12 years were spent in an organization supporting U.S. Northern Command in preparing for a Department of Defense Support to Civil Authorities in the event of a large-scale disaster, natural or manmade," Tyler said.

The newly appointed EMA director added that from 2016 to 2019, he was the deputy commander of the headquarters in Mobile that allowed him to help provide National Guard support to civil authorities in southwest Alabama, including Mobile and Baldwin counties.

"I was motivated to pursue the role of director by the professionalism and enthusiasm of our internal team members and by the myriad of opportunities to grow our network of outstanding organizations both within and outside of county government," Tyler said.

He added that the ability to help grow the community's resilience in preparing for a disaster is what excites him the most.

Tyler was selected after a two-month period of performing the duties of director after county administration recommended he was the best fit for the position. Tyler commented on the commissioners selecting him for this role, stating, "Perhaps what set me apart from others would be in that leading people is the only occupation I've had since 1993. I cannot write code, build a bridge or perform surgery, but connecting with people and inspiring them to perform at their best is something that I've been successful at over the past 30 years."

While serving as the EMA director, Tyler plans to focus on partnerships, public awareness and training as his top priorities.

"Without partnerships, we absolutely cannot be successful as a prepared community, and I am very focused on strengthening and expanding our community relationships," he said. "The Baldwin County Commission has demonstrated great resolve to protect our residents and guests by admirably resourcing our agency, but without our excellent group of partners, a disaster response would be exponentially less effective."