Our Staff

B.J. Dvorak (Coordinator)

In April 2022, the Linn County Emergency Management Commission appointed B.J. Dvorak to lead the countywide agency responsible for preparing for, responding to, and recovering from natural and man-made disasters. He began his service with the Linn County Emergency Management Agency in July 2019 as the Plans and Exercise Officer. Prior to joining Linn County EMA, Dvorak worked as the Plans Officer with Johnson County Emergency Management Agency and also as the Emergency Management and Security Coordinator with Mercy Hospital Iowa City.

Dvorak, a graduate of Upper Iowa University (BS- Public Administration), was a Firefighter/EMT with the City of Tiffin for 5 years and was also a Supply Management Officer with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Logistics Response Assistance Team for 10 years that included multiple hurricane deployments.

Dvorak is the recipient of the FBI-LEEDA trilogy award. He has attended numerous training courses including training from FBI-LEEDA on Supervisor Leadership, Command Leadership and Executive Leadership.

He is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) through the International Association of Emergency Managers and currently serves as a member of IAEM’s Certification Commission.

Peter Brisbine (Emergency Management Specialist/Operations Officer)

Peter Brisbine joined the Linn County Emergency Management Agency in December 2024, serving as the Emergency Management Specialist – Operations and Readiness Officer. Before this role, Peter was the Local Preparedness Coordinator Supervisor and State CERT Coordinator for New Mexico’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. He also worked with the City of Albuquerque’s Office of Emergency Management, where he specialized in logistics, communications, and volunteer management. A graduate of Jefferson High School (Go J-Hawks!), Peter’s early involvement in emergency management began with volunteer work for the Civil Air Patrol and Red Cross during the Great Flood of ‘93. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Crisis and Disaster Management from the University of Central Missouri and is currently pursuing a Master's in Public Administration at LSU. Peter is an alumnus of FEMA’s National Emergency Management Basic Academy and holds a range of specialized certificates, including FEMA’s Continuity of Operations Master Practitioner (Level 2), Infrastructure Disaster Management from Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, and is an Iowa Certified Emergency Manager. Additionally, he is a licensed amateur radio operator (call sign NM5PB), and volunteers with various community organizations.

Dawn Nelson (Administrative Assistant)

Dawn Nelson joined the Linn County Emergency Management Agency in December 2003 where she serves as the Administrative Assistant. She previously worked in law enforcement and emergency services for eight years and in the financial services field for four years. She has worked with FEMA on securing public assistance following two major flood events in 1999 before joining the agency. She has been the Secretary for the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) since 2003. Dawn attended Kirkwood Community College and was in the Business Administration program. She is certified as a trainer for the Community Emergency Response Team program, the National Incident Management System, and she is an Iowa Certified Emergency Management Coordinator.

Brad Ransford (Emergency Management Specialist/Logistics Officer)

Brad Ransford joined the Linn County Emergency Management Agency in November 2016 where he serves as a Emergency Management Specialist – Logistics & Training Officer. Brad currently volunteers as a Captain/EMT with the Hiawatha Fire Department for the past 16 year as well as the Assistant Chief /EMT for the Linn County Hazmat Team for the past 22 years. He retired from the Robins Fire Department as Assistant Fire Chief/EMT after serving 23.5 years with the department. Brad volunteered for Linn County Emergency Management Agency for 7 Years and 11 Months before going full time with Linn County Emergency Management Agency. Brad received a Fire Science Management Certificate and an Entry Level Firefighter Certificate from Kirkwood Community College. Brad is an Iowa Certified Emergency Management Coordinator, he is state certified as a Firefighter 1 & 2, Fire Instructor 1, Fire Officer 1 & 2, Fire Inspector 1, and Driver Operator – Pumper. He is also a Hazardous Materials Technician, State certified Emergency Medical Technician and holds numerous certificates in Hazmat, WMD, emergency management, Special Operations and Incident Command.

Heather Tripp (Emergency Management Specialist/Plans & Exercise Officer)

Heather Tripp joined the Linn County Emergency Management Agency in July 2022 where she serves as an Emergency Management Specialist – Plans and Exercise Officer. Heather previously worked as a 911 Communications Operator for Fire and Law Enforcement agencies in both Arizona and Iowa. As a Communications Operator, Heather served as a Certified Training Officer and was involved in the creation and implementation of new dispatcher training programs. In 2021 Heather graduated from Jacksonville State University with a bachelor’s in Emergency Management and a minor in Public Safety Communications.

Karen Kawala (Resiliency Coordinator)

Karen Kawala joined the Linn County Emergency Management in June of 2024 where she serves as the Resiliency Coordinator. Prior to joining Linn County Emergency Management, Karen worked in Linn County’s Sustainability Department. She worked at Integrated DNA Technologies and interned with NISAA African Family services. She received her degree in Global Health Studies from the University of Iowa.