Dr. Shruti Dhapodkar has been appointed the new director of emergency management, San Mateo County Executive Mike Callagy announced Thursday.
As head of the department, Dhapodkar will play a key role in addressing challenges from earthquakes, wildfires, tsunamis, pandemics, climate change and both natural and human-caused crises, according to a news release by the county.
“We have faced many different types of crises in a short period in San Mateo County, and I know Shruti is extremely prepared to take the department to new heights,” Callagy wrote in the press release. “With her leadership, I am confident we will be ready to respond to the needs of our residents before, during and after any crisis.”
The COVID-19 pandemic catapulted Dhapodkar, an emergency manager in San Mateo County Health since 2017, into a high-profile role. As COVID-19 case numbers grew in spring 2020, she helped launch and coordinate mass testing and mass vaccination sites focusing on reaching communities most at risk.
Dhapodkar was trained as a surgeon in medical school but was drawn to the complex challenges of disaster planning and emergency management.
“These last few years have been unprecedented in the number, variety and complexity of the challenges we as a County have faced,” Dhapodkar said. “What these challenges have shown us is that it’s more important than ever that we collaborate and coordinate with a wide variety of community groups and partners to prepare for whatever comes next.”
The Department of Emergency Management has an annual budget of $5.3 million and supports all 20 cities within San Mateo County during large-scale disasters and emergencies. The department also serves as the lever through which local agencies can request aid from the state and federal governments.
The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Board of Supervisors. A vote is expected at its Sept. 12 meeting. Dhapodkar is scheduled to assume her new role on Monday, Oct. 2. She will succeed Don Mattei, who is retiring after a 40-plus-year career in public safety.
