Williams County has a new Emergency and Disaster Services director as of Aug. 17.

The county commission on Tuesday approved hiring Mike Hallesy of rural Epping in the vacant position. The county has been searching for an EDS director since early May when Mike Casler resigned after being asked to do so. Sheriff Scott Busching has since been serving in the position when needed.

County human resources administrator Helen Askim advised the commission that the county‘s hiring committee offered Hallesy the position after his interview. The committee consists of Askim, Busching, Williston Police Chief James Lokken, Williston Fire Chief Alan Hanson and county Commissioner David Montgomery. Montgomery also oversees the EDS department.

Montgomery said in an interview later Tuesday he was impressed with Hallesy’s experience and personality, “the way he handled himself, very efficient.”

Hallesy has served as a deputy disaster emergency services director in Sheridan County, Mont., on a volunteer basis and is a volunteer with the Epping Rural Fire Department. He’s served with the fire department for three years. Hallesy, 47, said he applied for the position because he thought it is a good opportunity to serve the public and to work closer to home. His current job as a computer consultant for a Minneapolis-based company often takes him on the road.

“...I thought this job would allow me to work a little more regionally and spend more time with the family and the community,” Hallesy said.

Hallesy has served for 15 years on the Sheridan County Fair Board and was chairman for some of that time. Being on the fair board helped him to understand the budgeting and governmental accounting processes. He also does grant writing for the Epping Fire Department.

He looks forward to the community interaction and providing the resources needed for emergency agencies.

“I think it’ll be an enjoyable challenge to be able to make sure I tie all the resources that we’ve got in Williams County together so that if we do have some sort of weather incident or anything that can happen that at our fingertips we have access to these resources to provide the support to our firefighters and our law enforcement and various entities that will be on the front line,” he said.

Hallesy earned business and accounting degrees at the former University of North Dakota-Williston, presently known as Williston State College. He also holds communications and business degrees from the University of Mary in Bismarck.

He’s originally from Plentywood, Mont. His 9-year-old son, Kaare, is a student at Williston’s St. Joseph’s School and his wife, Angela, is a nurse at Williston’s Mercy Medical Center.