…welcoming new leaders (elected and staff)

In January 2021, Judge Thomas Kelly Ryan (then Chief Justice) swore in three new commissioners: Board of County Commissioners Jeff Meyers (District 2), Charlotte O’Hara (District 3) and Shirley Allenbrand (District 6). Later that month, Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab swore in Fred Sherman as Johnson County Election Commissioner.

New faces took on other leadership roles within the organization in 2021, thanks to actions taken by the BOCC. The board approved the reappointment of David “Beau” Boisvert as county appraiser for a four-year term. Also in 2021, the board appointed Peg Trent as its Chief Counsel and director of Legal Services for Johnson County Government.

The county hired Mike Brouwer in 2021 as the new criminal justice coordinator. Brouwer took on the responsibility of managing the county’s data-driven criminal justice efforts and major projects to address the root causes of criminal behavior, helping to create a better community.

…honoring the work of leaders and other recognitions

Johnson County Government consistently wins awards on the local, regional, state and national level for its leadership, talent, subject matter expertise, buildings, programs and much more. While we don’t have space to list them all, we did want to highlight some of our leadership and our organization’s notable achievements in 2021.

• At its annual meeting, United Community Services honored Chairman Ed Eilert with its Karen Wulfkuhle Bridge Spanner Award, recognizing “a community advocate who recognizes the complex issues that affect the quality of life in our community and exemplifies commitment and leadership.” At that same event, the Johnson County Department of Corrections was recognized for a collaborative effort with NCircle, Johnson County Community College and Kansas City Community College for partnering on the College of Trades program.
• The Kansas Association of City-County Management recognizes excellence in public service. KACM created a new Leadership Award this year, and its first recipient was
• Johnson County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson. She received this award for her leadership of Johnson County’s pandemic response and recovery while continuing to meet other challenges in the community through innovative measures.
• National Association of EMS Physicians honored Johnson County EMS director Dr. Ryan Jacobsen as the recipient of The President’s Award. This award honors a member or members who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the organization by creating new initiatives or furthering the work of the organization.
• Johnson County became a Communities for All Ages Bronze Level designee in 2021. The Communities for All Ages recognition program is sponsored by Mid-America Regional Council, the KC First Suburbs Coalition and KC Communities for All Ages. Johnson County was the first county to be awarded this designation and joins 17 regional cities on both sides of the state line that have demonstrated this commitment for all-age issues in their communities.