After the conclusion of a national search, Adam Fouche has been named director of the University of Georgia’s Office of Emergency Preparedness and Insurance and Claims Management, effective Oct. 1.

Fouche has served nearly 20 years in the University of Georgia Police Department, most recently as deputy chief. He assumes this new role following the retirement of former Director Steve Harris.

“Adam’s years of service to the University of Georgia have been distinguished by his passion for serving and his commitment to collaboration,” said Ryan Nesbit, vice president for finance and administration. “He brings a wealth of knowledge to this role through his varied experiences in the Police Department and Finance & Administration, working closely with OEP and the UGA community.”

Fouche joined the university in 2004 as a police officer. During his leadership tenure, he has overseen the planning, emergency response and coordination of multiple large events and emergency incidents at the university. He has instructed police officers and others across the state in topics including legal issues, emergency medicine, mental health interventions, active shooter response and leadership.

Adam has served on multiple interdisciplinary teams at the university focused on the well-being, mental health and success of UGA students. He is a previous recipient of the department life-saving award and coordinated the police department’s bleeding control, CPR, AED and naloxone programs.

Fouche holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and a Master of Public Safety Administration from Columbus State University.

“We are deeply grateful for the time and effort invested in the national search process by the search and screening committee and are particularly grateful for the leadership provided by Keith Wenrich, director of recreational sports,” said James Shore, senior associate vice president for finance and administration and budget director. “We are also grateful to the many members of the university community who participated in meetings with each of the finalists and provided valuable feedback.”

The Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) provides a comprehensive emergency management program for the university to save lives, protect property, promote continuity of operation and reduce the overall effects of large-scale disasters. OEP manages many high-profile programs, including the UGAAlert system, the Building Safety and Security Representatives program, emergency action plans for all buildings and sporting venues, campus AED/bleeding control kit programs, volunteer programs (CERT/MRC), enterprise risk management and training and technical assistance on topics ranging from active shooter response to CPR training.

The Insurance and Claims Management office is responsible for administrating UGA’s insurance and associated claims functions. The Georgia Department of Administrative Services (DOAS) provides insurance to the University of Georgia and the University System of Georgia through a self-insured program. The UGA Insurance and Claims Management office serves at the principal point of contact between UGA and DOAS. UGA insures over $4 billion in assets around the state, including over 2,000 UGA-owned vehicles, 1,850 buildings and approximately 43,000 acres of land.