Retired Air Force colonel in line to become Brevard County public safety director

A retired Air Force colonel who was commander of the Mission Support Group at Patrick Air Force Base is in line to head Brevard County's fire rescue and emergency management operations.

Brevard County Manager Frank Abbate next week plans to ask the County Commission to confirm Matthew Wallace as the county's public safety department director.

That position was re-established by the County Commission last week as part of a revamping of the county's organizational structure to form a Public Safety Group. 

If confirmed for the job, Wallace will oversee fire rescue, emergency management, the medical examiner's office, school crossing guards and community corrections services.

In a memo to county commissioners, Abbate said Wallace is a 25-year military veteran experienced in human resources, program management, logistics, government contracting, civil engineering, security, and emergency response and management.

More:County leadership vacancy again filled internally, with assistant county manager post

More:Brevard County Commission names Bentley as county attorney named without job search

More:Brevard County leadership team put into place

Abbate said Wallace “has experience in managing multilayered annual operating budgets in various high-level executive leadership roles.”

Wallace said he is "very humbled and extremely excited" about the prospects of becoming Brevard County public safety director. "It's a dream come true to serve Brevard County."

Wallace retired from the Air Force in November 2017, after serving nearly three years as commander of the Mission Support Group. In that position, Wallace managed an annual operating budget of more than $350 million and directly supervised 1,600 people. His Mission Support Group also provided support and services to more than 12,000 base personnel and 150,000 retirees.

It was Wallace's second assignment at Patrick. He previously served as commander of the Mission/Force Support Squadron at Patrick from April 2005 to July 2008.

From then until his most recent Patrick assignment, Wallace served as:

• Director of manpower and personnel for air forces in Korea, stationed at Osan Air Base in South Korea.
• Deputy commander of the Mission Support Group at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
• Deputy commander of the Air Expeditionary Group in southwest Asia.
• Director of manpower and organization for the Air Force Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.

Wallace, 49, also was awarded the Legion of Merit, which is given to the top 5 percent of Air Force senior commanders.

He holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Troy State University in Troy, Alabama.

Brevard County had a public safety director until 2004, when the person who held the position for the previous eight years, Jack Parker, was elected Brevard County sheriff.

Abbate said he decided to re-establish the position because "I just saw this as a better fit, organizationally," for county government. Under the previous structure:

• Emergency Management Director Kimberly Prosser has been reporting to Abbate, who also heads the county's Support Services Group. 
• Brevard County Fire Rescue Chief Mark Schollmeyer has been reporting Jim Liesenfelt, assistant county manager for the Community Services Group. Schollmeyer oversees fire rescue operations, emergency medical services, fire prevention services and ocean lifeguards.
• The medical examiner's office, community correction services and school crossing guards programs have been reporting to Brevard County Housing and Human Services Director Ian Golden, who, in turn, reports to Liesenfelt. Community corrections services includes probation, pretrial release, pretrial diversion and alternative community services operations.

Abbate told county commissioners that the new structure will "provide for the most effective and efficient services to the citizens and visitors, within the budgetary resources currently allocated."

Wallace previously had interviewed with Abbate for the job of assistant county manager for the Community Services Group. That job instead in April went to Liesenfelt, who had been interim assistant county manager since August 2017, following the retirement of Venetta Valdengo. Before that, Liesenfelt was transit director for Space Coast Area Transit for more than 20 years. 

Under the proposed setup, Wallace would report directly to Abbate. Prosser and Schollmeyer would report to Wallace.

There currently are two assistant county managers — Liesenfelt and John Denninghoff, who is assistant county manager for the Development and Environmental Services Group.

Human Resources Director Jerry Visco said, at one time, Brevard County had three assistant county managers.

The public safety director's salary is still to be determined, but would be funded within the existing county budget, through the overall reorganization effort, Visco said.

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office is not affected by this change, as Sheriff Wayne Ivey is an elected "constitutional officer," who oversees his own staff and budget.

The County Commission vote to confirm Wallace's appointment will take place during the board's meeting that begins at 5 p.m. May 8 at County Commission Meeting Room at the Brevard County Government Center, 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Building C, Viera.

Berman is government editor at FLORIDA TODAY. 

Contact Berman at 321-242-3649

or dberman@floridatoday.com.

Twitter: @bydaveberman.

Facebook: /dave.berman.54