Strengthening Communities through Preparedness and Strategy

Sara Williams serves as the director of homeland security and emergency management for the City of Killeen, Texas, where she oversees disaster preparedness programs that protect communities and facilitate effective recovery. Her work are is centered on predicting risks, coordinating response efforts and making sureensuring that cities are equipped to handle emergencies before they unfold .

Sara Williams’ expertise spans various jurisdictions, from cities to counties, where she has developed and implemented disaster mitigation plans, overseen emergency response operations and enhanced public safety initiatives. With an acute eye for early risk detection, she has built programs that go beyond short-term threats, resulting in long-lasting resilience within the communities she serves.

For seven years, she led emergency operations for San Patricio County, managing floodplain management, safety programs and grant funding. Securing over $40 million for flood mitigation projects, hazard mitigation plans and emergency preparedness efforts, she ensured that infrastructure remained resilient against potential threats.

She designed county-wide training programs that kept departments and agencies well-prepared for a range of emergencies. The county’s safety program received the Texas Association of Counties’ Safety Achievement Award three years in a row, reflecting her ability to turn policies into measurable outcomes. Her expertise also extends to legislative advisement, providing county and city officials with proactive insight into changes in regulations that would affect emergency response planning.

Long before stepping into leadership, Williams was strengthening the backbone of disaster response through data analysis and strategic planning. Her background in geographic information systems (GIS) gave her a deep understanding of how technology and mapping influence emergency response. As a GIS application specialist for he City of Corpus Christi, she provided spatial analysis that improved urban planning and risk assessment. Working with Nueces County and the City of Houston, she integrated data-driven strategies into disaster recovery, damage assessment and infrastructure planning. She used GIS modeling to assess environmental risks, predict flood-prone areas and develop response plans tailored to specific geographic vulnerabilities.

She operates from a playbook shaped by hands-on experience rather than theory. Her work in the private sector added another dimension to her expertise. At First American Natural Hazard Disclosures, she trained teams on how to interpret hazard data to apply it to real estate risk assessments, reinforcing her ability to translate technical insights into practical applications. Early in her career, during her internship with the City of Grand Prairie, she developed public outreach materials that simplified disaster preparedness concepts for community awareness.

Williams has redefined emergency management as a discipline that requires both preparation and adaptability. She has strengthened communities by securing funding and implementing safety programs, leaving a lasting impact. Every obstacle is tackled with accuracy, guaranteeing that when a crisis occurs, there is a plan in motion and a team to execute it. Her leadership does not just prepare cities for emergencies but builds a foundation where readiness becomes second nature, and communities stand stronger in the face of uncertainty.