Public Safety Department Selects Donaldson as Emergency Management Director

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Sept. 29, 2026) – Following a national search, the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Public Safety Department has selected Crystal Donaldson as director of emergency management. She will lead the department’s Office of Emergency Management, which brings together emergency planning, physical security and technology expertise to support preparedness across the university, beginning Friday, Oct. 2.

Donaldson brings more than 15 years of experience in public safety, emergency management and continuity planning. She serves as a continuity and resiliency planner at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she leads continuity and recovery planning, conducts risk assessments, supports Emergency Operations Center activations and provides preparedness training.

“I’m honored to join North Carolina A&T and look forward to working with colleagues across the university and our community partners,” said Donaldson. “Preparedness is a shared effort. My goal is to build on the university’s strengths through planning, training and strong relationships that help us respond effectively when our community needs us.”

Previously, Donaldson served as interim director and assistant director of campus safety at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. She directed campus security and emergency management programs and developed emergency drills, tabletop exercises, and critical incident response strategies. She holds an MPA with a concentration in criminal justice and emergency management from UNC Pembroke.

“Crystal brings a strong commitment to safety and preparedness, along with the leadership experience to turn plans into coordinated action,” said Robert Hassell, Ph.D., A&T’s associate vice chancellor for Public Safety and police chief. “Her experience working across university departments and leading emergency planning efforts will strengthen our ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies. I look forward to the work she will do with our campus and community partners.”

In her new role, Donaldson will work with university departments and community partners to strengthen emergency plans, training and exercises and support a coordinated response to incidents affecting campus.