After demonstrating what Dane County officials deemed strong leadership abilities and desirable personality traits, Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs was selected for an upper-level management position at the county level Tuesday.

Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced that Tubbs will take the county position of director of emergency management. Parisi cited Tubbs’ four decades of experience in law enforcement as a driving factor to choose him for the position.

“He just has a fantastic resume with 40 years of experience that I think makes him the ideal candidate for this job,” Parisi said. “He has a wealth of experience, and he is certainly the type of person I want by my side should the unthinkable happen. We’re very fortunate in Dane County to have someone of this caliber who has accepted the position.”

Tubbs’ new position requires him to coordinate local agencies, including county, city and state law enforcement, in the event of emergencies to provide a safe response for the county’s citizens, Parisi said.

The director is also responsible for the preparation and assessment of future emergency situations.

Tubbs expressed gratitude for the position offer in a statement released Tuesday.

“I’m honored to be selected by County Executive Joe Parisi to serve the great citizens of Dane County as the Emergency Management Director,” said Tubbs. “I pledge to the citizens that life safety and the protection of property will always be the number one priority of my staff and me. I look forward to working with the Dane County Emergency Management Staff, County Executive Parisi, the Dane County Board and our citizens.”

As chief of the Capitol Police, Tubbs also worked with Parisi during his time in the state Legislature, most notably during last year’s protests against Gov. Scott Walker’s controversial budget repair bill.

Parisi said Tubbs’ handling of the situation proved him to be a worthy candidate for the position. 

“I saw him at work during what was arguably the most difficult time in our state’s history when we had thousands of people protesting at the Capitol,” Parisi said. “It was obvious that he had an incredible skillset and was able to be a source of calm in the storm.”

Tubbs will take the position June 4 with an annual salary of $95,000, according to the statement.