All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Upshur director of emergency management scaled back to part-time position as county seeks candidate

Upshur County Administrator Carrie Wallace, county administrator and the current director of county DHSEM, shows commissioners the packets that were prepared for Upshur County Schools students in this September 2021 file photo.

BUCKHANNON – Think you have what it takes to coordinate and oversee emergency management planning and response in Upshur County?

After several months of evaluating the requirements of the position, the Upshur County Commission is seeking a new part-time director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

At its Feb. 24 meeting, commissioners approved a revised director position, transitioning the post from a full-time gig to a part-time post, among several other changes.

Following the departure of former full-time Upshur County DHSEM director Brian Shreves, who accepted another job offer in August 2021, the commission appointed Upshur County Administrator Carrie Wallace as DHSEM director and assistant county administrator Tabatha Perry as assistant DHSEM director.

When the decision was made, officials with emergency management planning experience questioned the wisdom of the commission taking over the DHSEM office, but Wallace recently explained that had been the plan all along.

“At the end of August, we absorbed the duties of director and assistant director of DHSEM into the commission office,” Wallace said Thursday. “Now, we’ve had five months to evaluate it and make a recommendation regarding how to move forward and we are recommending a part-time DHSEM director.”

The new part-time director will take over Wallace’s current role, and once that person is hired, they will have input into who is hired as an assistant part-time director of Upshur County DHSEM director.

“The director will work up to 20 hours a week, and the part-time assistant director will work up to 10 [hours a week], but we want the new director to be involved in that decision,” Wallace said.

The director’s hours, up to 1,040 a year, will be flexible, and applications will be accepted through 4 p.m. Friday, March 4. The part-time assistant director will be expected to work up to 520 hours per year.

Wallace noted DHSEM director was a part-time role up until the county hired Shreves in 2017.    

“This will take it back to the way it was up until 2017,” she said.

The DHSEM office is primarily responsible for countywide homeland security and emergency management planning, response and recovery, and the starting wage is $25 per hour. Applications should be delivered or mailed to: Upshur County Administrative Annex, c/o Carrie Wallace, 91 West Main St., Suite 101, Buckhannon, WV 26201.

You can find additional information about the position here.

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

Upshur County Commission renews support as title sponsor for Leadership Upshur

The Upshur County Commission has renewed its title sponsorship for the 2025 Leadership Upshur program, demonstrating ongoing support for local leadership development and enabling the commission to select a participant for the nine-session course.

6-year-old alleges father pointed firearm at him during domestic altercation

Alex A. Alkire, 27, was charged with felony wanton endangerment, gross child neglect, and misdemeanor domestic assault after allegedly pointing a firearm at his 6-year-old son during a domestic dispute.

Rose Marie Champ

Rose Marie Champ, 89, a retired machine operator and member of Bethany Baptist Church, died at her home, leaving behind a large family including children, grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.

Upshur County Commission Agenda: July 17, 2025

The Upshur County Commission will meet on July 17, 2025, to address items listed on their published agenda.

Post 7 comes up short in tournament opener in 5-2 loss to Morgantown

Buckhannon Post 7 outhit top-seeded Morgantown but committed four costly errors and fell 5-2 in the opening round of the Area 2 American Legion postseason baseball tournament.

Summer basketball league continues week three play

In week three of the Upshur County Summer Basketball League, area teams competed at West Virginia Wesleyan College, with standout performances including Austin Upton’s 37 points for Corder Concrete Specialist and Kaiden Cutlip’s 34 for WV Split Rail.

Nancy Lea Lantz

Nancy Lea Lantz, 74, of Philippi, passed away July 13, 2025, and is remembered as a devoted homemaker, church member, and camper, survived by her children, relatives, friends, and her dog Tiny.

Buckhannon awards $50,000 in opioid settlement funds to Wesleyan for addiction counseling scholarships

City council approved allocating $50,000 in opioid settlement funds to West Virginia Wesleyan College for scholarships to support local addiction counseling education, aiming to combat drug addiction in the Buckhannon area.

Faith Baptist Church to host Vacation Bible School from July 21-25

Faith Baptist Church will host a Vacation Bible School for kindergarten through sixth grade children July 21-25, featuring nightly sessions from 6 to 8 p.m. and a family fun night on the final evening.