A familiar face to many in Guthrie County and the surrounding counties has stepped down.

Former Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Kempf retired from the position May 14th, after several years of service to the communities of both counties. New EMA Coordinator Jeremy Cooper says that it has always been an interesting time working with Kempf. He mentions that when Kempf first started, he wasn’t as knowledgeable as he is now, but he quickly put in a lot of hard work to make himself the person he is, and make the Adair and Guthrie County EMA what it is as well.

Cooper shares what he believes was Kempf’s best quality for the position, along with the knowledge he possessed.

“He would give up any of his time to help his neighbor, whether he knew them or not. We’re both from Guthrie County, and it didn’t matter if you were a Guthrie County resident or an Adair County resident. He still cared about you all the same, and he definitely put in above and beyond his hours that he got paid for.”

Cooper explains that there were many instances where Kempf would go out of his way to make sure that people received the help they needed. He adds that with having an individual this impactful to the communities he served, there are many who will miss Kempf. Cooper says that on May 30th, there will be a retirement party for Kempf at the Guthrie Activity Center from 3-6pm, with a couple guest speakers to appear at 4pm. He invites anyone who would like to attend to come and celebrate Kempf.