The City of Boerne recently hired Vincent Cantu as its first-ever emergency management coordinator. He was introduced to City Council at the Aug. 25 meeting.
Cantu joins the City of Boerne after serving as the emergency management coordinator for the City of Abilene, where he directed the emergency management program, advised executive leadership and elected officials, managed state and federal grant programs, and led planning efforts to strengthen community resilience and continuity of operations.
“Vincent brings more than a decade of progressive experience in emergency management, public health preparedness, and business continuity,” Assistant City Manager Danny Zincke said. “We have been fortunate in Boerne to have excellent emergency management, but the role has expanded as our community has grown, and it was time to bring in a dedicated professional.”
Previously, the role of emergency management coordinator was administered by the police chief or fire chief, who took on those responsibilities in addition to leading their respective departments.
Under this leadership structure, Boerne has maintained a strong and proven emergency management program, successfully coordinating the City’s response to major events including historic flooding, the pandemic, the 2024 total solar eclipse, and numerous high-impact winter storms.
Throughout his career, Cantu has successfully guided communities through numerous significant incidents, including severe weather events, wildfires, the COVID-19 pandemic, cyber incidents, and other complex emergencies.
He helped secure nearly $950,000 in FEMA Hazard Mitigation funding for critical infrastructure improvements, established regional partnerships among higher education institutions, led executive-level exercises, and developed innovative continuity and emergency response programs.
“As emergency management coordinator, Vincent will lead the City’s emergency preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery,” Fire Chief Manny Casarez said. “As we have seen in the last several years, the next major event can occur at a moment’s notice. By continually planning with our local, regional, state, and federal partners, we can enhance community resilience.”
Prior to his emergency management leadership role, Cantu served as the public health emergency preparedness coordinator for Abilene, where he strengthened healthcare preparedness, medical countermeasure planning, and regional public health coordination. His background also includes extensive experience in community health initiatives and public outreach.
“I’m excited to join the City of Boerne and build on the strong emergency management foundation already in place,” Cantu said. “Being able to further develop this role creates an opportunity to expand our focus on preparedness, planning, and partnerships year-round so we are ready to serve the community when it matters most.”
Cantu is a graduate of FEMA’s National Emergency Management Advanced Academy, holds a Bachelor of Science in Community Health from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and has earned numerous professional certifications, including FEMA Level I Professional Continuity Practitioner and the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service Infrastructure Protection Certificate.
He has been recognized as an Abilene Chamber of Commerce Top 20 Under 40 recipient and is an active leader in emergency management across Texas.
