City of Winder names Scott McCullers new fire chief

The City of Winder has named Scott McCullers as its new fire chief.

McCullers brings more than three decades of fire service experience to Winder, with a career spanning fire operations, emergency management and department leadership. He most recently served as Division Chief of Operations for the City of Sandy Springs, where he oversaw department operations, budget and resource allocation, staff training and strategic planning. He previously spent nearly 30 years with the City of Alpharetta, where he served as Fire Operations Chief. 

“Chief McCullers brings extensive operational experience and a strong background in fire service leadership to Winder,” said Mayor Jimmy Terrell. “We are confident he will build on the strong foundation of the Winder Fire Department while leading the department into its next chapter.”

McCullers holds a Bachelor of Science in Fire Science Administration from Waldorf University and earned a Project Management Certificate from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2024. 

His professional training includes extensive coursework in incident command, emergency management, leadership, community risk reduction and fire service administration. He completed the Georgia Fire Academy’s Chief Fire Officer orientation program and its New Fire Chief training series, along with executive leadership and incident command training. His emergency management training also includes EOC management and operations, hazardous weather preparedness, mass-fatality incident response and public information.

McCullers succeeds Chief Matt Whiting, who retired this month after 34 years of service to the City of Winder.