Purpose of the IAEM Awards Program

The Purpose of the IAEM Awards Program is to recognize and honor people and organizations that have made special or significant contributions to the field of emergency management and have represented the profession well by their outstanding performance.

Announcing the 2025 Award Recipients

Lifetime Achievement Awards

• Career Excellence Award: Jeffrey Jellets, CEM (Atlanta, Georgia): Press Release
• Clayton R. Christopher Memorial Award: Ashley Tye, AEM (Valdosta, Georgia): Press Release

Individual Awards

• Emergency Management Educator of the Year: Dr. Claire Knox (Orlando, Florida): Press Release
• Emergency Manager of the Year: Andrew "Drew" Chandler, AEM (Versailles, Kentucky: Press Release
• Rising Star Award: Tonya Clarke, CEM (Houston, Texas): Press Release

Programmatic Awards

• Emergency Management  Education and Training Award: CAP National Emergency Services Academy (NESA) Mobile Training Team: Press Release
• Preparedness Award: City of Bainbridge Island & Bainbridge Prepares WASH Team: Press Release
• Technology and Innovation Award: NASA Disasters Response Coordination System (DRCS): Press Release

Public/Private Sector Awards

• Business and Private Sector Integration and Public Sector Partnership Award: Operation Pulse Lift: Press Release

Student Awards

• Student Chapter of the Year: Massachusetts Maritime Academy (Bourne, Massachusetts): Press Release

Volunteer Awards

• Voluntary Organization of the Year: DC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster: Press Release
• Volunteer Emergency Manager of the Year: Major Rob Yusko (Parker, Colorado): Press Release

Uniformed Service Awards

• USC Auxiliary Emergency Manager of the Year: Joseph J. Leonard, Jr., CEM (Houston, Texas): Press Release
• USC Civilian Emergency Manager of the Year: Genivive Ivory (Cibolo, Texas): Press Release
• USC Uniformed Services Emergency Manager of the Year: Colonel Todd Canale (Tucson, Arizona): Press Release

Meet Five of the 2025 Award Recipients

On Oct. 16, 2025, five 2025 IAEM-USA award recipients sat down with IAEM-USA Awards Committee Chair Lanita Lloyd, CEM, for a roundtable discussion as part of the IAEM 73rd Annual Conference Early Edition Speaker Series. Participating in "Behind the Win," were: 

• Emergency Manager of the Year Andrew Chandler.                
• Career Excellence Award Winner Jeffrey Jellets.
• Clayton R. Christopher Award Winner Ashley Tye. 
• Coby Gibson of the American Red Cross. representing the Voluntary Emergency Management Organization of the Year: DC VOAD.
• Katie Picchione of NASA, representing the Technology and Innovation Award winner: DRCS.