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Sedgwick County emergency management, finance teams earn state and national recognition
Summary
Sedgwick County Emergency Management and Public Finance teams received multiple awards at the Kansas Emergency Management Association conference and from 3plus1, honoring volunteers, staff training and county liquidity management.
Sedgwick County officials used the Oct. 1 meeting to highlight recent awards earned by county emergency management personnel and the county finance team.
At the Kansas Emergency Management Association conference, county volunteers and employees were recognized for operational and training achievements. Chance Smith, incoming KEMA president, and Emergency Management Director Julie Stimpson presented awards that included recognition for the county CERT generator and lighting team (a nine-volunteer group that provided scene lighting and backup power for elections and community events) and the Wichita National Weather Service office for partnership during severe-weather events. Sarah Maganese (American Red Cross South Central Southeast Community Disaster Program Manager) received the Leon Manel Outstanding Emergency Management Support Professional Award, cited for disaster response contributions including flood response and assistance-center coordination.
Brian Ellis of Sedgwick County Emergency Management received two awards: the Randy Reineker Instructor of the Year Award for exemplary training contributions and the Outstanding Emergency Management Professional of the Year for statewide leadership, enhancements to operations and training more than 100 staff since joining Sedgwick County in March 2024. Commissioners praised the emergency-management staff's preparedness work and volunteer contributions.
Separately, the county's public finance team received a "CashFest 90+" award from 3plus1 for achieving high scores on liquidity-management metrics across four consecutive quarters. Deputy CFO Brent Shelton praised investment manager David Floyd, Accounting Director Hope Hernandez and Budget Director Lorraine Lindsay for improving the portfolio's performance; David Floyd reported the county's portfolio score rose from 76 (ending July 2023) to 98 (ending July 2024). The county manager and commissioners noted that strong investment performance supports county programs and one-time initiatives without relying on ongoing property-tax increases.
No formal actions were required to recognize the awards; presentations and brief remarks were on the meeting record.
