Three emergency managers from Maine received awards at the IAEM Region 1 Symposium “Honoring
EMerging Leaders, Ideas and Innovation” in Manchester, New Hampshire on October 21, 2022.
Manchester, NH – More than 65 emergency managers, first responders, and healthcare professionals
attended the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Region I (New England)
Symposium, meeting in-person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began. This event,
sponsored by FirstNet Authority and Margolis Healy, included an awards ceremony, briefings presented
by subject matter experts, and networking sessions.
Leading up to this event, an independent committee reviewed dozens of nominations across ten award
categories. The following emergency managers from Maine received awards at the Symposium:
● Anne Fuchs, Director of Mitigation, Planning and Recovery at the Maine Emergency
Management Agency. Anne received the Emergency Manager of the Year Award, presented as
the most prestigious and highest honor in Region 1 to the professional who embodies the spirit
of emergency management.
● Chelsea Robbins, Training and Exercise Coordinator at the Cumberland County Emergency
Management Agency. Chelsea received the Training and Exercise Award, presented for advancing
the discipline of emergency management specifically in the space of training and exercise.
● Lynn A. Walkiewicz, Intern at the American Red Cross and student in Tulane University’s
MSW/MS in Social Work/Disaster Resilience Leadership program. Lynn received the Student of
the Year Award, presented to an individual supporting students in the space of emergency
management.
Eight emergency management practitioners also presented briefings on emerging topics in the
profession, or methods to further innovation. Chelsea Robbins presented a briefing on “Evolving the
Emergency Management Workforce While Minimizing Losses,” and Lynn A. Walkiewicz shared insight on
“Widening the Scope: Embracing the Whole Community.”
IAEM Region 1 is one of ten regions comprising IAEM-USA, the nation’s largest emergency management
professional association. IAEM represents more than 6,000 emergency management and homeland
security professionals for local communities, state and federal disaster officials, private sector,
non-governmental organizations and others involved in preparing for, responding to and recovering from
all types of disasters. For more information about IAEM, please visit www.iaem.org or contact IAEM
Region 1 leadership at iaem.r1@iaem.com.
