TOPEKA–Keith Haberer, Emergency Manager for Russell and Ellsworth Counties, has been named the Owen U. Turrentine Emergency Management Professional of the Year.

Haberer was recognized Thursday night in Topeka during the annual Kansas Emergency Management Association (KEMA) conference.

KEMA also awarded a special recognition certificate for Best Practices in CooperativePartnerships with the National Weather Service to the emergency management programs in Barton, Butler, Ellsworth, Kingman, Harper, Marion, McPherson, Reno, Rice, Russell, Saline, Sedgwick and Sumner counties for their cooperative response to a tornado outbreak April 14, 2012.