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Is your community considering joining the Community Rating System (CRS)? Already in the CRS and looking to improve your rating? Have some questions that you’d like to ask other CRS communities?

As a follow-up to the April 2021 IFSMA webinar on the CRS in Iowa, IFSMA is hosting an interactive panel discussion focusing on the CRS.  Panelists include Melissa Mitchell (ISO CRS Specialist), Ken Bouma (Iowa DNR), Mathew Langley (City of Cedar Rapids), and Todd Sherrets (City of Independence). The webinar will begin with a brief synopsis of the CRS, then transition to a Q/A session providing an opportunity for you to participate and find answers to your CRS questions.  Please join us for this interactive webinar!

Panelist Bios:

• Melissa Mitchell, CFM

  Melissa is an ISO/CRS Specialist for FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS) program for Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota territories. Providing support to communities interested in entering, maintaining, and growing in the program. Melissa’s CRS experience started at the city/government level assisting her community and a neighboring community with their applications and growth within the program over nine years ago.

   

• Mathew Langley

  Mathew is currently serving as the floodplain administrator for the City of Cedar Rapids.  Using his Master of Public Administration and Masters of Urban Planning, he focuses on community development, long range planning, floodplain management & flood mitigation.

   

• Todd Sherrets

  Todd serves as the City of Independence’s Building official/Code Enforcement/Flood Plains Manager for the past 3 years. Todd graduated from Independence in 2000. He is married to his wife Kristin for the last 12 years. They have a 9 year old son, Tieg and a 6 year old daughter, Kiegan. Todd loves helping and beautifying his hometown!

   

• Ken Bouma, CFM
  Ken is a Certified Floodplain Manager in the Floodplain and Dam Safety section of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, helping to coordinate the National Flood Insurance Program in Iowa.  As an NFIP Specialist, Ken assists Iowa communities and residents navigate the requirements and responsibilities of floodplain mapping, regulations, and insurance.

• Todd Tucker, AICP

Todd is a Floodplain Management Specialist and FEMA Region VII CRS coordinator.  Prior to working with FEMA, Todd worked as a professional land use planner for various local, state, federal, and tribal agencies in current planning managing development in urban and rural communities. Todd joined FEMA Region VII in 2010 promoting hazard mitigation planning and NFIP compliance and is Region VII’s CRS Coordinator.