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Overview

The Kentucky Association of Mitigation Managers (KAMM) was formed in 2004 to promote natural hazard mitigation and management in Kentucky. KAMM’s Members represent local elected officials, floodplain managers, planning & zoning officials, engineers, grant specialists, geologists, surveyors, GIS specialists, hydrologists, planners, community & economic development specialists, public safety & emergency managers, and others.

KAMM’s mission is to connect and support hazard mitigation professionals across diverse disciplines through collaboration, education, and professional development. KAMM provides a collaborative forum for mitigation experts; advances effective natural hazard mitigation and disaster recovery technologies; fosters cooperation among private, non-profit, and governmental organizations at the local, state, and federal levels; and promotes public awareness of hazard mitigation to reduce risk and build resilient communities.

KAMM held its first conference in 2005 and continues to organize an annual conference to promote mitigation awareness and education and provide a forum for mitigation professionals from a variety of disciplines. KAMM has four regions, and Regional Representatives organize an annual training in each area.

KAMM is governed by an elected Board of Directors (BOD), and daily operations are managed by an Executive Director/Webmaster. The KAMM BOD has five subcommittees: CRS, Emergency Management, Membership & Outreach, Awards & Grants, and Conference Planning.

KAMM became a Chapter member of the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) in 2006. KAMM is a 501 (c)3 non-profit as of October 21, 2016. KAMM has signed five MOAs with partner associations to mutually advance the professional development of our collective members.

KAMM’s Association with ASFPM 

KAMM is a Chapter Member of the

Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM).

www.floods.org

KAMM 2025-2027 Board Members

Contact KAMM’s Board members at help@kymitigation.org.

KAMM Four Regional Representatives

Contact KAMM’s Regional Representatives at help@kymitigation.org.

KAMM Committees

We encourage KAMM members to participate in KAMM committees.  Participation in committees allows KAMM members to promote issues, challenges, and best practices that are important to them and provides an opportunity to network. Ultimately, the committees will help develop and recommend policy to the KAMM Board. KAMM's committees are:

Community Rating System (CRS)
Emergency Management
Membership & Outreach
Awards & Grants
Conference Team

Each committee has an assigned Committee Lead and/or a KAMM Board member/s as a mentor. Contact KAMM’s Committee Chairs at help@kymitigation.org.

Community Rating System (CRS) 

Chair Alex VanPelt

CRS Background

CRS is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management best practices that exceed the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Over 1,500 communities participate nationwide.

In CRS communities, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community’s efforts that address the three goals of the program:

• Reduce and avoid flood damage to insurable property.
• Strengthen and support the insurance aspects of the National Flood Insurance Program.
• Foster comprehensive floodplain management.

Mission Statement

KAMM’s CRS Committee is a collection of KAMM members interested in reducing flood risks within the Commonwealth of Kentucky through FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS) program. The committee works with local, state, federal, and other partners to promote CRS participation, increase the CRS classes of existing participants, and to develop CRS action plans for the benefit of interested KAMM members.

Committee Goals

1.     Increase CRS community participation within the Commonwealth;

2.     Assist current CRS communities in improving their community’s CRS class;

3.     Educate CRS coordinators of potential point opportunities and other CRS related activities;

4.     Develop KAMM materials and documents that are focused on CRS in the Commonwealth; and

5.     Promote CRS education & training opportunities for local CRS coordinators.

Resources on KAMM website

CRS Fact Sheet

CRS Program

CRS Committee Meeting Minutes

2024 Conference CRS Committee Meeting Minutes

CRS Committee September 2023 Meeting Minutes

CRS Committee November 2023 Meeting Agenda & Minutes

NFIP/CRS Newsletters

The CRS Update Newsletter is a publication to provide local officials and others interested in the CRS with news they can use. Sign up for CRS email updates.

CRS Webinars

The CRS offers one-hour webinars to help communities understand and meet their CRS requirements.  Many will be recorded, so they can be accessed later.

Registration is free but required, as space is limited. Some courses provide continuing education credits for certified floodplain managers (CFMs).

For dates and topics, link to CRS Training and Webinars. See all of the CRS webinar trainings available on the CRS Resources website. If you have questions about or suggestions for the CRS Webinar Series, contact Becca.Croft@atkinsglobal.com.

Emergency Management Committee

Chair Richard Dewitt

Board Mentors Moose Massey & Joe Sullivan

Mission Statement

The Emergency Management Committee will assist both Emergency Managers and Floodplain Managers to better utilize the synergy that exists with their positions. This committee will strive to develop programs that will identify those areas within which Emergency Management and Floodplain Management can best benefit from partnerships on common projects and goals for the safety of their citizens.

Committee Goals

With several disasters over the last few years and multiple levels of personal experience within those disasters represented on the committee, the committee felt it was vastly important to have the roles of Emergency Management and Floodplain Coordinator personnel clearly defined. Our goal over the next year is to aid the local governments on how to fill these positions, what roles each personnel should play, and how to best provide real time recovery efforts.

Ways to achieve these goals are

o Provide assistance to local governments regarding Emergency Management and Floodplain Management      personnel, their respective roles, and how to best provide real-time recovery efforts.

o Identify, define, and quantify the roles of Emergency Managers and Floodplain Managers in a format tailored to

  local officials – County Judge Executives, Mayors, Commissioners, and others.

o Create trainings for governments, hired personnel, conferences, etc.

2024 KAMM Conference Emergency Management Committee Meeting Minutes

2019 Emergency Management Committee Newsletter

Membership & Outreach Committee

Chair Mike Greene

Mission Statement 

KAMM’s Membership and Outreach Committee is an organization of mitigation, floodplain, planning, and emergency management professionals committed to promoting the KAMM organization, providing educational opportunities, enhancing local partnerships, sharing of best practices and latest technologies, and developing engagement tools for use in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The committee works with the KAMM Board and other partner agencies to promote and increase professional education opportunities to KAMM members, promote policies and activities that increase mitigation and risk awareness, and to develop community services of benefit to KAMM and its members.

Committee Goals

1.     Promote the KAMM organization and benefits of membership. 

2.     Communicate and support appropriate training opportunities for KAMM members.

3.     Increase the effectiveness of training opportunities delivered by KAMM.

4.     Enhance networking and partnership opportunities.

5.     Provide hazard mitigation outreach and engagement in the Commonwealth.

6.     Share best practices.

Supporting Tasks

• Establish a schedule for regular contacts (every 6-8 weeks) to discuss committee topics and monitor ongoing activities. 
• Leverage the KY Floodplain Coordinators contact spreadsheet and other distribution lists (EM, KLC, KACO, new KAMM members) to promote membership.
• Promote Regional Trainings and provide additional web-based training opportunities to those unable to attend in-person trainings.
• Encourage students at higher education facilities in fields related to floodplain management and mitigation to join KAMM and attend the annual conference. For example, students obtaining the Floodplain Management Minor at WKU may benefit from being KAMM members.
• Develop a Comprehensive Outreach Plan for KAMM.
• Leverage the annual KAMM conference survey results to ensure proper flood risk messaging and topics of interest.
• Develop additional surveys to obtain & share best practices, and to determine potential assistance that may be offered by KAMM.
• Leverage ADD Districts for engagement, existing trainings, Risk MAP product use, and local mitigation champions. ADD-hosted opportunities are preferred.
• Maintain relationship with Kentucky Association of Counties (KACo) & Kentucky League of Cities (KLC).
• Coordinate a joint-training opportunity where KAMM can support KY statutory continuing training requirements.
• For more information, link to Kentucky Revised Statutes – Chapter 147A statute.aspx (ky.gov) at 147.a.027

Awards & Grants

Chair Mario Sebastiani

Mission Statement

The Awards Committee focuses on Awards, Community Grants, and Scholarships. The main roles of the committee are to:

1.     Determine the winners for Mitigation Project of the Year and Mitigation Manager of the Year for annual KAMM awards.

2.     Distribute scholarships for annual KAMM conference.

3.     Award mitigation grants to communities.

Mitigation Awards

• Solicit nominations from KAMM membership for mitigation awards.
• Determine winner for each of the awards based on rubric.
• Present award plaque to award winner/s at the annual conference.

Annual Scholarships at KAMM Conference

• Promote scholarship opportunities.
• Evaluate and respond to requests for scholarships.
• Award scholarships by KAMM Regions according to guidelines. 

Community Mitigation Grants

The Awards Committee is responsible for the administration of any grant program established by the KAMM Board of Directors. KAMM will allocate funds towards a grant program for its members on an annual basis or as directed by the Board. These grants may vary by year depending on KAMM’s budget and the availability of funds. 

Grants responsibilities of the Awards Committee may include: 

• Advertise the availability of grant funding.
• Receive and review the grant applications.
• Award grants.
• Oversee grant implementation.

Proceeds from the annual Community Mitigation Grant fundraisers will be used to fund any grants. 

Conference Committee

Chair Ben Conley

The Conference Committee assists with the planning and implementation of the annual KAMM conference through participation in planning calls, volunteering for conference responsibilities and tasks, and providing resources wherever available.

KAMM Partners & Memorandums of Agreements (MOAs)

 KAMM has signed five MOAs with partner associations to mutually advance 
the professional development of our collective members.

KAMM Receives Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador Recognition

We are very pleased to be recognized by the National Weather Service (NWS) as a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador for the organization’s support to NWS’ goal of creating a Weather-Ready Nation.  The Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador initiative is an effort to formally recognize NOAA partners who are improving the nation’s readiness against extreme weather, water, and climate events. 



KAMM promoted NWS efforts in the Community Collaborative Rain Hail, and Snow (CoCoRaHS) network by providing several dozen official CoCoRaHS rain gauges as speaker gifts and door prizes at our 2018 conference at Lake Barkley State Resort Park. Everyone that received a rain gauge agreed to participate in the CoCoRaHS citizen science network.  Through these efforts, KAMM strengthened an already valuable Weather-Ready Nation partnership. KAMM has collaborated with the NWS offices in Kentucky for over 20 years to promote mitigation of natural hazards in the Commonwealth. 

Link to a Story Map highlighting our recognition (and many others).

VISIT THE KAMM STORE FOR KAMM SWAG!

Mitigation Matters!  

Have questions? Contact us at help@kymitigation.org.

Don’t forget to join the KAMM group on LinkedIn and Facebook.

KAMM is a non-profit 501 (c) (3)