Gerald (Jerry) L. Smith II

Jerry Smith serves as the Director of the Office of EMS, formerly and most commonly known as Lake EMS, prior to its transition under the Lake County Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 1, 2018. In his role, he is responsible for the Administration, Financial Management and Operations of the Office of EMS.

The Office of EMS is the only pre-hospital transport agency in Lake County and, as such, operates 22 Advanced Life Support units. In Fiscal Year 2018, Lake EMS field staff ran approximately 58,858 incidents.

Mr. Smith has 30 years of Public Safety experience between the fields of Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Management. He has held various EMS positions from EMT to Director at Lake EMS. As the former Director of Lake County Emergency Management, Mr. Smith managed local incidents resulting in two Presidential Disaster Declarations and numerous Emergency Operations Center activations.

Mr. Smith also served 30 years in the U.S. Air Force, with assignments on active duty and reserve. He retired from the Air Force with the rank of Chief Master Sergeant.

Mr. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from Warner Southern College – Magna Cum Laude.

Mr. Smith is committed to the community of Lake County and has previously served in an array of capacities, including, but not limited to, a member of the Sunrise Kiwanis Club of Leesburg, a member of the Leadership of Lake County Alumni Association, a member of the Lake-Sumter State College Foundation and a youth soccer coach to various leagues.