Elijah Kaufman, CFM - State NFIP Coordinator, Outreach & CRS Coordinator
Elijah serves as the NFIP Coordinator for the State of Nebraska. Elijah also serves as a point of contact for floodplain management questions. He assists with floodplain ordinance review and adoption, outreach events to help communities communicate flood risk, as well as outreach events related to mapping projects. Elijah provides floodplain management assistance through Community Assistance Visits (CAVs), Community Assistance Contacts (CACs), training sessions, and technical assistance phone calls and correspondence. Elijah assists communities with joining, maintaining and advancing that status in the Community Rating System (CRS).
Contact Elijah at (402) 471-0640 or Elijah.Kaufman@nebraska.gov
Anna Crist, CFM — Outreach Coordinator
Contact Anna at (402) 471-0585 or Anna.Crist@nebraska.gov
Erin Wendt, CFM — Outreach Coordinator
Contact Erin at (402) 471-0572 or Erin.Wendt@nebraska.gov
Mercy Kipenda, CFM — NFIP Specialist
Contact Mercy at (402) 471-3947 or Mercy.Kipenda@nebraska.gov
Isabella Bialas, CFM - NFIP Specialist
Contact Isabella at (402) 471-3929 or Isabella.Bialas@nebraska.gov
Outreach Coordinator/NFIP Specialist serves as a point of contact for floodplain management questions. She assists with floodplain ordinance review and adoption, outreach events to help communities communicate flood risk, as well as outreach events related to mapping projects. Anna provides floodplain management assistance through Community Assistance Visits (CAVs), Community Assistance Contacts (CACs), training sessions, and technical assistance phone calls and correspondence.
Jared Ashton, PE, CFM – Engineer
Contact Jared at (402) 471-0500 or Jared.Ashton@nebraska.gov
Stefan Schaepe, PE, SFM – Engineer
Contact Stefan at (402) 471-0644 or Stefan.Schaepe@nebraska.gov
Deanna Ringenberg, PE, CFM – Engineer
Contact Deanna at (402) 471-1221 or Deanna.Ringenberg@nebraska.gov
Rebecca Podariu, EI, CFM – Engineer
Contact Rebecca at (402) 471-0307 or Rebecca.Podariu@nebraska.gov
Engineers serve as a project manager and helps develop guidelines and procedures for mapping work. He conducts approximate and detailed hydrologic and hydraulic analyses for mapping, reviews and approves BFE determinations, prepares floodplain reports, and delineates floodplains. Stefan also reviews engineering work developed during FEMA mapping projects and performs Technical Reviews submitted by local jurisdictions, to verify accuracy and that they follow FEMA guidelines. Also conducting approximate and detailed hydrologic and hydraulic analyses for mapping and BFE requests, prepares floodplain reports, and delineates floodplains. She creates Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), Draft FIRM databases, metadata and FEMA submissions based on FEMA’s guidelines.
Jeehoon Kim, CFM – GIS and Floodplain Mapping Specialist
Contact Jeehoon at (402) 471-1223 or Jeehoon.kim@nebraska.gov
Ryan Stastny, CFM – GIS and Floodplain Mapping Specialist
Contact Ryan at (402)471-2243 or Ryan.Stastny@nebraska.gov
Karl Merchant – GIS and Floodplain Mapping Specialist
Contact Karl at (402)471-2240 or Karl.Merchant@nebraska.gov
Harrison Jones – GIS and Floodplain Mapping Specialist
Contact Harrison at (402) 471-2242 or Harrison.Jones@nebraska.gov
GIS and Floodplain Mapping Specialists delineate floodplains, create Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), Draft FIRM databases, metadata, Flood Risk Products, and FEMA submissions based on FEMA’s guidelines.
Michele York - Administrative Programs Officer
Contact Michele at (402) 471-1214 or Michele.York@nebraska.gov
Michele assists with outreach event preparation and scheduling, verifies contact information for communities, reviews documents for accuracy prior to distribution, assists with preparing FEMA reporting documents, and various other tasks related to the Floodplain Management Division's responsibilities.