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USA Council Region 5

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IAEM-USA Region 5 President
Allison Farole, MPA, CEM
Emergency Management Administrator
City of Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
iaem.R5@iaem.com

IAEM-USA Region 5 Vice President
Ryan S. Wilkinson, MA, PEM, CEM
Emergency Manager
Eaton County Emergency Management
Charlotte, Michigan

IAEM-USA Region 5 Secretary
Allison Moore, CEM

Business Resilience Leader
Cummins
Bedford, Indiana

Region 5 includes: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Region 5 Bylaws (approved 11 July 2019)

Follow IAEM-USA Region 5 on Social Media.

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Region 5 State Representatives

  • Michigan: Joe Hahn, AEM
  • Ohio: Chasity Schmelzenbach, CEM
  • Indiana; Reigna Zeigler, CEM
  • Minnesota: Toni Hauser, CEM
  • Illinois: Mick Fleming, CEM
  • Wisconsin: Lenora Borchardt, CEM

Region 5 Updates

IAEM-USA Region 5 Virtual Conference

IAEM-USA Region 5 2023 Symposium (March 29, 2023) 

Region 5 News

  • IAEM-USA Announces Results of the 2020 Elections (IAEM press release, 03 Sept 2020)
  • Region 5 Hitting the Road (01 Oct 2019)
  • Region 5 President Brad Gilbert was in Chicago last week for the Region V’s 1st Annual Unified Resilience: Midwest Private-Public Partnership Forum. Brad had the opportunity to join Administrator James Joseph in welcoming the attendees on behalf of IAEM-USA Region 5.
  • Region 5 President Brad Gilbert and IAEM-USA Council Second VP and Past Region 5 President Judd Freed will be speaking at the Michigan Emergency Management Association Conference on Oct. 8, 2019. Brad and Judd will provide a one-hour update on IAEM activities.
  • Region 5 Secretary Ryan McEwan will be attending the Indiana Emergency Management Association Conference on Oct. 23-25, 2019. Ryan will be speaking during the business meeting and sharing news from IAEM-USA Region 5.
  • Region 5 officers will be attending the Ohio Emergency Management Conference on Oct. 9, 2019.
  • Region 5 IAEM 2019 Annual Conference Update (01 Oct 2019)
  • The Region 5 meeting will be on Monday Nov. 18, 5:00-6:00 p.m. We are working on a agenda and will send it out soon. A few items so far: Region 5 FEMA Administrator James Joseph will speak and provide updates on Region 5; Region 5 conference plan; and Region 5 Bylaws review update. If you have items you would like to see on the agenda, please let us know.
  • At the Annual Conference each region is tasked to provide a basket for a raffle to benefit the IAEM Scholarship Program. We are seeking someone who would like to chair/head up getting items for a basket from Region 5. If you are interested in doing so, please email Region 5 VP Lee Foster, lfoster@armadausa.com.
  • IAEM 2019 Annual Conference (01 Oct 2019) The Emergency Management Alliance of Indiana has asked we share news of their upcoming conference, set for Oct. 23-25, 2019. The location will be the ​​Indianapolis Marriot East, at 7202 E. 21st St. in Indianapolis. The keynote speaker on Oct. 24 will be Matt Booth, bringing his expertise on managing your attitude to increase your success.
  • IAEM-USA Region 5 Election Results (01 Oct 2019) The Region 5 elections are official. Your 2019-2021 officers are Brad Gilbert, president, and Ryan McEwan, secretary, and for 2019-2020, Lee Foster, vice president. Thank you to everyone who voted. All three officers are available if you have any questions, concerns or needs for Region 5. In addition, as the Region 5 representative to the USA Council, feel free to contact Brad with anything regarding IAEM-USA.
  • IAEM-USA Region 5 Participation at the EMAO Conference (08 Dec 2017) Region 5 President Judd Freed spoke to the Emergency Management Association of Ohio Winter Conference in Perrysville, Ohio, on Dec 8, 2017. Judd has now been to four of the states’ conferences to share information about IAEM and the value of IAEM membership. Next year’s IAEM Annual Conference is being held in Region 5 at Grand Rapids, Michigan.


Left to right: IAEM-USA Government Affairs Vice Chair and Region 5 Vice President Brad Gilbert;
Emergency Management Association of Ohio Executive Director Michelle Fitzgibbon; Region 5 President
Judd Freed; and EMAO President John Kochis at the EMAO Winter Conference in Perrysville, Ohio, Dec 8, 2017.

  • Results of IAEM-USA Region 5 Election (10 Oct 2017) In the online Region 5 officers' election ending on July 14, 2017, Judd Freed was re-elected as President of Region 5, Brad Gilbert was elected Region 5 Vice President, and Lee Foster was elected Region 5 Secretary. The Region 5 Bylaws amendments were approved.
  • NACo Safe and Secure Counties Symposium (08 Dec 2015) The National Association of Counties (NACo) hosted a “Safe and Secure Counties Symposium” Dec. 3-5, 2015, in Colorado Springs. Emergency managers who are NACo members joined some 200 elected county officials from across the nation to discuss trends and best practices in public safety and emergency management issues at the county level. Private sector, FEMA and DHS representatives also attended and presented on topics ranging from cybersecurity to mental health in jails to mitigation and recovery. Pictured in the photo to the right, IAEM-USA Region 5 President Judd Freed, CEM, who serves as vice chair of NACo’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Committee, spoke to the gathering on the importance of understanding community risk and the need for professional emergency managers.

    During the symposium, local emergency managers met with Alaina Clark, deputy assistant secretary for intergovernmental affairs, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Emergency managers and elected officials received a briefing on the future of DHS and the current issues of funding. After the briefing, Ms. Clark took many pointed questions about the need for transparency and the role of local emergency management from the NACo Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee, to which these emergency managers belong.

    Left to right: Kristin Sailer (St. Croix County EMA, Wisconsin); Roy Waite (Clarke County EMA, Alabama); Judd Freed, CEM, (Ramsey County EMA, Minnesota, IAEM-USA Region 5 President); Ms. Clark; Eddie Hicks (Morgan County EMA, Alabama); R.C. Smith (El Paso County EMA, Colorado); Hadi Sedigh (NACo Legislative Liaison).
  • Results of IAEM-USA Region 5 Officers Election (30 Nov 2015) IAEM-USA Region 5 members elected the following regional officers in the election ending Sept. 16, 2015, who took office at IAEM 2015 Annual Conference: Judson M. Freed, MA, CEM, President; and Frank J. Kriz, MS, CEM, Vice President.
  • IAEM-USA Region 5 Outreach (24 Jan 2014) IAEM-USA Region 5 President David Christensen (left in the photo to the right) met with U.S. Congressman Randy Hultgren (IL-R) on Jan. 24, 2014, to discuss EMPG, Congressional support for the Emergency Management Institute, and support for local EM programs.

Past Presidents of Region 5 (all active members)

  • Judd Freed
  • David Christensen
  • Jeff Walker
  • Russ Decker