Howard County leadership held a reception in appreciation of 18 years of service by Emergency Management Co-Directors Bryan Kunze and Bill John, who retired from the office at the end of August.

In June, the two men passed the torch to a younger generation, Kyle “Bubba” Conrow and Casey Roberts, both Columbia firemen who reside in Howard County.

For the last 18 years, John and Kunze have led the county through historic flooding, tornadoes, winter storms, and half a dozen Presidential Disaster Declarations, and the COVID-19 pandemic. That was after they both retired from the Fayette Police Department. Kunze had served as City Marshal for 24 years. John had achieved the rank of Captain before retiring from the department.

Three months after taking over the EMA office in 2006, they dealt with a tornado that caused around $20 million of damage in Glasgow and Armstrong.

The transition from John and Kunze to Roberts and Conrow officially occurred on August 1.

Also at the reception on Thursday were Larry Oerly and Brenda Harriman from Cooper County Emergency Management, as well as Elizabeth Thompson, the Region F Coordinator for the state emergency management office. Oerly said Kunze and John had been great neighbors.