Outstanding floodplain managers and exemplary programs were presented with IAFSM awards at the 2022 conference in Bloomington-Normal. The following awards were presented:
Floodplain Manager of the Year
Paul Kruse, CFM
This award recognizes outstanding individual efforts and contributions at the local level. The award honors an individual responsible for the development of a distinguished local program or activity, or someone who struggles to implement flood hazard reduction at the local level in the absence of sophisticated programs and support.
Paul has worked for the Village of South Elgin for over 32 years! He currently holds the position of Building & Code Enforcement Manager. Paul has worked hard to assist the Village with several major successes associated with Floodplain Management. With Paul’s assistance the Village was able to join the CRS program in 2012 with a Class 5 rating, which is better than the average rating in the State. Through compliance enforcement and continued mitigation efforts Paul has been able to ensure the residents of South Elgin continue to receive the benefits of the Class 5 rating for over 10 years.
Additionally, Paul has been featured on behalf of the Village where it was recognized as a notable community for CRS Resilience, Community Success Stories by ASFPM “South Elgin Leverages Relationship with Larger County to Preserve Open Space” which highlighted the work Paul, the Village, and Kane County have done to purchase flood prone properties and maintain the areas a public open space to reduce flood damages in the Fox River Watershed.
Finally, Paul is a well-known name by all the RAFT team, participating in several deployments where he has been able to use his experience in post-disaster situations to assist other communities and has been a huge help with completing damage assessments (he’s completed several hundred of them) to assist other communities as well as help train other RAFT members.
Outstanding Service Award
Steve Altman, PE, CFM
Awarded to an IAFSM officer, a Federal, State, or Local Official, or a consultant who has gone above and beyond normal expectations and duties to promote or encourage IAFSM goals. This award may also be given to an agency that has inspired floodplain management efforts or implemented unique programs that encourage flood reduction.
Steven Altman, P.E., CFM, currently serves Manager of the Division of Resource Management within the IDNR/Office of Water Resources. Steve holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Bradley University.
He began his career with OWR in 1995 in the Engineering Studies Section. From 2000 to 2016, Steve worked in the consulting engineering industry, highlighted by experience as project engineer for the Flood Control Master Plan Update for the Las Vegas Valley, and as a project manager assisting FEMA Region 6 with the Flood Map Modernization and RiskMAP Programs. Steve is a Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the States of Illinois, Nevada, and Texas and a Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM). He has held leadership positions with the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Illinois Association of Floodplain and Stormwater Management (IAFSM) and is currently serving as Chair. In 2021, Steve was the IAFSM Vice-Chair and the Annual Conference Chair, working with the Executive Board, the Committee Chairs and the entire organization to ensure the conference seamlessly moved from “in-person” to 100% virtual which was an incredible feat that no one could have predicted would have been necessary. For his outstanding service, IAFSM recognizes him with this award. Steve, his wife Tracy, and his two children reside in Chatham, IL.
Excellence in Stormwater Management
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD)
Awarded to a floodplain manager, an individual, a group of individuals, a consultant, or an agency who improved stormwater management or reduced urban flood risks through creative engineering, regulatory measures, or other approaches. The award can also be considered for someone who struggles to implement flood hazard reduction at the local level in the absence of sophistic ted programs and support.
Created in 1889 as the Sanitary District of Chicago, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) today is an award-winning, special-purpose district responsible for treating wastewater and providing stormwater management for 5 million residents and businesses in its service area, which covers Chicago and 128 suburban communities throughout Cook County.
Historically, the MWRD is credited with reversing the flow of the Chicago and Calumet River Systems, and construction of the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, also known as “TARP” or “Deep Tunnel.”
In 2004 the Illinois General Assembly granted the MWRD regional authority to manage stormwater for Cook County. Since that time, the MWRD has introduced a wide range of strategies to address stormwater and flooding through proper watershed regulations, watershed planning and both local and regional projects that bolster community resiliency. The MWRD’s countywide Stormwater Management Program’s mission is to provide Cook County with effective rules, regulations and capital improvement projects that reduce the potential for stormwater damage to life, public health, safety, property and the environment.
The MWRD has delivered a range of stormwater management solutions that includes mass flood control reservoirs and miles of stream improvements, to underground detention, permeable parking lots, alleys, and schoolyards, and the removal of thousands of yards of debris from local streams each year. Between regional flood control projects and local stormwater partnerships, the MWRD has developed a capital improvement plan resulting in more than 200 projects aimed at flood reduction, protecting over 16,000 structures.
Under its countywide Stormwater Management Program, the MWRD also adopted and implemented the Watershed Management Ordinance (WMO) in 2014, providing uniform minimum stormwater regulations for Cook County consistent with other ordinances in the region to ensure development and redevelopment projects do not exacerbate flooding. Since 2014, through the WMO, over 300 acre-feet of rainwater has been retained in green infrastructure volume control practices. To date, more than 2,700 permits have been issued for nearly 8,800 acres of development resulting in more than 85 acre-feet of compensatory storage and 760 2,300 acre-feet of stormwater detention.
Over the past 18 years since receiving formal authority for Stormwater Management in one of the largest and most
populous counties in the United States, the dedicated staff at MWRD has made tremendous strides towards reducing the impacts of flooding and improving the overall quality of life throughout Cook County.
Excellence in Mitigation
Kristie DeBrun
This award is given to an individual or community that has encouraged flood hazard reduction through a buyout program, retrofitting, preparation of a mitigation plan, or other similar mitigation efforts.
Kristie began working for IDNR November 2017 as a Land Acquisition Agent III, assisting the department in purchasing land for ongoing conservation purposes. She’s held a Real Estate Broker’s license for 19 years, so she’s accustomed to working directly with sellers and buyers. However, according to Kristie, flood buy-outs has been a learning process and new experience since starting at IDNR.
IDNR Realty Staff works as a team on the various steps of each flood buy-out acquisition and closed many parcels
before I began with the department. No single person is responsible for each buy-out. Realty staff continue to help
with each step, but as IDNR staff decreased, Kristie began taking more responsibility in working directly with flood
coordinators and sellers. As of March 2021, She’s assisted over 20 communities throughout the State of Illinois,
personally closing over 140 parcels, learning more about the flood buy-out process every day.
Kristie believes it is very rewarding working directly with the public in purchasing their repetitively flooded home
or business. It doesn’t go without issues at times: sellers not happy with purchase price, helping them through all
the tedious paperwork and getting them to understand the State’s process; tax issues; lien and judgements; lenders not cooperating with necessary documents in order to close. But once we develop an understanding, the process can go smooth, and closing is the reward for everyone.
French and Mary Lu Wetmore Award for Lifetime Achievement
Molly O'Toole
This award is the IAFSM's highest honor. It is reserved for outstanding longtime floodplain managers. These individuals’ long-term contributions have made a noticeable impact on floodplain and stormwater management efforts in the State of Illinois. This award is not always given on a yearly basis.
Molly O’Toole received her B.S. in civil engineering from Michigan State University and a Masters in Public
Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been working in the fields of water resources, floodplain management, stormwater and watershed management and natural hazard mitigation for over 25 years. Molly is a registered professional engineer in Illinois, a Diplomate Water Resources Engineer with the American Academy of Water Recourse Engineers, and a Certified Floodplain Manager.
Molly first started working in mitigation in 1984 as the mitigation program director for the Office of Water
Resources. She was also a Captain in the Air Guard during this time. After the Great Flood of 1993, she was chair of the state interagency task force for community relocation projects, and she helped in writing the policies for the new program. During her many years with Illinois’ Office of Water Resources, Molly chaired the Illinois Mitigation
Advisory Group’s Acquisition and Relocation Committee, served on the CRS Task Force, and served as a state
participant to FEMA during the development of FEMA mitigation regulations.
Molly joined French and Associates where she continued her work on floodplain management and mitigation until 2004 when she started her own company, Molly O’Toole & Associates.
Her consulting work has focused on the development of countywide hazard mitigation plans projects in Illinois,
and on regional stormwater management programs in northeastern Illinois. She is currently the lead consultant
to National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System (CRS) program implemented by FEMA.
Molly has been involved with all facets of floodplain and stormwater management, and many of the region’s programs today were developed with her input. Molly has been involved in dozens of mitigation plans and hundreds of mitigation projects.
Molly received the IAFSM Outstanding Service Award in 2014. We were all honored that French and Mary Lu
could be here in person to present Molly with this lifetime achievement award. She has been an incredible role model for professionals in our industry always maintaining integrity and consistency as a steward of effective floodplain and mitigation efforts and the mission of IAFSM.