Former longtime Orange County resident Assistant Chief Jay Hall of the Texas Division of Emergency Management is retiring. Jay Hall grew up in Orange County and attended Lamar University. After graduating in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science, Jay went to work for Orange County Public Health as the Health Preparedness and Strategic National Stockpile Coordinator.
In March 2005, Jay was hired as the Regional Liaison Officer with the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), for the Beaumont District. In this position, Jay led the state’s response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike and several others. In this role, he provided technical expertise and assistance to Hardin, Jefferson, Orange, Chambers, Liberty, Jasper, Newton and Sabine Counties. In 2012, Jay was promoted to State Coordinator, moving to Houston to oversee the state’s response in the 35 counties that make up the Southeast Texas Region.
Jay moved to San Antonio in 2017 to lead the Central Texas/South Texas Region but was quickly sent back to Southeast Texas during Hurricane Harvey. During this time, Jay managed the significant state response and coordinated with federal officials to help the impacted areas. In 2019, the Texas Division of Emergency Management was created as a standalone state agency. It was then that Jay was promoted to Assistant Chief, Region 6.
Jay served in this position until his retirement on August 31, 2025, after 20 years of service to the state. During his time with TDEM, Jay responded to some of the state’s most challenging incidents, including the Sutherland Springs shooting, the FDLS Compound Incident, catastrophic wildfires in the panhandle and most recently led the Kerr County Flood Event response. Due to his dedication and exceptional service, Jay was awarded the Texas A&M System 2021-22 Regents Award. Jay now looks forward to his retirement, spending time with his wife Summer, son Luke, daughter Mackenzie, and granddaughter Halley.
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