Winneshiek Emergency Coordinator named as Emergency Manager of the Year.

The Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office and the Winneshiek County Emergency Management Commission is proud to announce that Sean Snyder, Winneshiek County Emergency Management Coordinator, has been named by the Iowa Emergency Management Association as the Emergency Manager of the Year.

This award was created to recognize the accomplishments of an Emergency Management Professional and leader whose actions have made the greatest impact in advancing the Emergency Management Profession in Iowa during the previous calendar year. The individual’s selfless devotion to emergency management made lasting improvements to preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities both within their community and across Iowa. Their leadership positively influenced the integration of emergency management with other disciplines and across all levels of government. The endeavors of this individual will have a long-lasting positive impact on emergency management for years to come.

Snyder was nominated for this award by Mandy Bieber, Delaware County Emergency Management Coordinator, who noted:

“In the past year, Sean has dealt with flooding in his community. He handled a unique situation where the Iowa Individual Assistance (IA) / Disaster Case Advocacy (DCA) program was not established. Sean has been navigating this system with grace and poise, while at the same time advocating for both his citizens and the rest of the emergency management community who will have to use this program in the future. In addition, Sean has served for the last few years on the leadership team for the Iowa Emergency Management Association (IEMA). This is a time-consuming extra duty that is all voluntary. He has done an extraordinary job of navigating situations that have not faced any other IEMA leader due to the political climate at both the state and federal levels. He has continued his own personal growth in achieving his Emergency Number Professional (ENP) credential. This credential is a very difficult test, along with proving training and proficiency in the 911 realm, which is part of Sean’s duties as the Winneshiek County Emergency Management Coordinator. I viewed Sean’s interaction with his community at a debriefing and witnessed firsthand the respect for him at the local level from his emergency responders. For these reasons, Sean should be the 2026 Emergency Management Coordinator of the Year.”

Under Snyder’s direction, Winneshiek County Emergency Management has made significant strides in the continued development and evolution of emergency management services in Winneshiek County. Snyder’s innovation and resourceful planning have helped to grow an emergency management program optimized to serve all Winneshiek County residents.

Coordinator Snyder noted “I am honored to be recognized for such a distinguished award, and it has been a privilege to serve the residents of Winneshiek County. This wouldn’t have been possible without the support and direction of the Winneshiek County Emergency Management Commission.”

Snyder began his career with Winneshiek County Emergency Management Agency in 2015.

About Winneshiek County Emergency Management:

The Winneshiek County Emergency Management Commission is comprised of each Mayor of a Winneshiek County municipal jurisdiction, one member of the Board of Supervisors, and the Sheriff.

The Commission oversees the Emergency Management Agency, which is tasked with the duty of assisting citizens and their communities to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and eliminate or reduce the effects of natural, man-made, civil, and technological emergencies or disasters. For more information, please visit https://winneshiekcounty.iowa.gov/departments/emergency-management

In the picture with Sean Snyder is Dean Vrba – Benton County Emergency Management Coordinator.