Matthew Matheis named new emergency management associate director

LAWRENCE — Matthew Matheis will join the University of Kansas as the new Emergency Management associate director beginning Oct. 17.

Matheis brings seven years of experience across the fields of public health, health care preparedness and emergency management to the position. He previously worked as the senior planner and exercise coordinator at Mid-America Regional Council, a nonprofit organization in the Kansas City area, where he helped facilitate planning processes for regional emergency service plans, coordinated training exercises and developed strategies for risk management.

He also served as an operations officer in the emergency management department at the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, where he helped develop procedures and guides for emergency events. He has also worked as a preparedness training manager and maintains a number of professional certifications, including certification as an emergency manager.

Matheis is a KU alumnus, earning a Master of Public Administration after earning a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. His seasoned background in project management, continuity planning and threat and hazard identification provide him with the extensive skillset necessary to lead KU’s emergency management efforts.

The Emergency Management associate director maintains KU’s response guide to emergency preparedness issues, coordinates training programs, conducts drills and assists departments with emergency and mitigation plans.

“We are excited to welcome Matthew as KU’s Emergency Management associate director,” said Nelson Mosley, chief of police and director of KU Public Safety. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the emergency management field, which will be beneficial to the University of Kansas.”

Matheis will be instrumental in leading KU’s multitiered emergency response system and will serve as another resource that allows the Public Safety Office to help keep the KU community safer and more secure.