(COLUMBIA, MO) - The public is invited to a meet and greet with the Columbia Fire Department’s new Fire Chief Andy Woody on Wednesday, Jan. 22, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. in Conference Rooms 1A/1B at City Hall, 701 E. Broadway. Light refreshments will be provided.
Woody comes to Columbia from Searcy, Arkansas where he served as the fire chief. Woody’s career began in 1997 with the Springfield, Missouri Fire Department where he worked through the ranks to assistant fire chief. He was hired as a training officer for the Searcy Fire Department in 2015 and became the fire chief in 2017. During his career, he also served as an adjunct instructor with the University of Missouri Fire and Rescue Training Institute instructing firefighters statewide.
He earned an associate degree in fire science, a bachelor's degree in business management and a master's degree in administration. Woody is credentialed through the Center for Public Safety Excellence as a Chief Fire Officer and a Chief Training Officer and has completed the Executive Fire Officer Program through the National Fire Academy. He is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, served as a regional director of the Arkansas State Association of Fire Chiefs and as a peer reviewer for the Center for Public Safety Excellence.
City of Columbia leadership hopes residents and business leaders will join them Jan. 22 to welcome Woody to our community.