Lee County Manager Dr. John Crumpton, left, and Lee County Emergency Management Director Shane Seagroves.

Lee County Emergency Management Director Shane Seagroves has been awarded the prestigious Colonel Phillip Nicholas Waters Award, which is presented to the local emergency management director who has “demonstrated outstanding achievement in their Local Emergency Management Program and has contributed to the overall good and achievement of the Emergency Management System in the state” of North Carolina.

Seagroves, who has been with Lee County as fire marshal since 2007 and became emergency management director in 2009, was presented with the award at the North Carolina Emergency Management Association awards banquet on Nov. 2 in Wilmington.

The Association acknowledged Seagroves’ willingness to assist other jurisdictions and the number of times he has assisted North Carolina Emergency Management by deploying to other parts of the state and country during major disasters.  His leadership in the response to the tornado of April 2011, which devastated Lee County, and his department’s actions over the last 16 months to assist with the county’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic were singled out as examples of his contributions to Lee County.

“Mr. Seagroves is very versed in the emergency services field as you can tell based on his accomplishments; however, he is much more than that,” Lee County Manager Dr. John Crumpton said. “He is a proven leader who is dependable and trustworthy.  Within Lee County Government, he is a team player and is respected by his peers.  He is a career public servant who functions as an advocate for the citizens while ensuring that common sense and safety are applied in every scenario.  He is an outstanding choice for the 2021 Colonel Phillip Nicholas Waters Award, and we are very proud of his hard work and dedication to Lee County.”

Seagroves has over 30 years of service in Fire and Emergency Services combined, and is certified in executive emergency management.