Julie Stimson Honored with Prestigious Excellence in Public Service Award

Wichita, KS (KSNW)—Julie Stimson, who leads Sedgwick County’s Emergency Management division, received the 2025 Excellence in Public Service Award on Tuesday. The accolade acknowledges her outstanding leadership, unwavering dedication, and steadfast efforts toward enhancing community readiness.

In its 37th year, this accolade is conferred by the DeVore Foundation and recognizes outstanding public servants working within Wichita’s city departments, counties, and public school systems. The chosen individuals are noted for their exceptional dedication, productivity, as well as their contributions inside and outside of their professional roles. Every honoree is awarded with a prize of $3,000.

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Stimson expressed that she felt "totally humbled and taken aback" by the acknowledgment. She stated, "This role isn't something one individual can handle—it requires a team effort, truly a collective endeavor of an entire community."

Stimson heads a team of only five individuals tasked with overseeing disaster response coordination across 20 municipalities and serving more than half a million residents in Sedgwick County. She stressed the critical role of public awareness and individual readiness when facing various types of catastrophes, whether they occur naturally or arise from human activities.

We're aiming to engage with the local community to assist individuals in considering how they can ready themselves for unforeseen events like power failures, tornadoes, and various emergencies," she explained. "The focus is on learning how to gather critical updates and establishing a strategy prior to such disasters occurring.

The official awards ceremony will be held on May 14 at Botanica Wichita. Further honorees from the city, county, and public school system will be revealed on April 24 after the last set of unexpected recognitions. This yearly accolade is additionally supported by KSN.

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