May 09, 2025
Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (MSP/EMHSD) Commander Capt. Kevin Sweeney is pleased to announce Mr. Mike Kasper, who serves as the Mackinac County Emergency Management Coordinator, as the 2024 Michigan Professional Emergency Manager (PEM) of the Year.
The PEM of the Year Award recognizes an emergency management professional who displays outstanding professional ethics, leadership, and innovation, and offers essential contributions to the field of emergency management in the state of Michigan.
“Through his unwavering dedication and tireless service, Mr. Kasper embodies the very best of Michigan’s emergency management community,” said Capt. Kevin Sweeney, deputy state director of Emergency Management and commander of the MSP/EMHSD. “Whether leading large-scale operations or mentoring a new emergency manager, he brings the same level of care, innovation, and determination to every effort. His career reflects not only a strong commitment to public safety but also to the people and communities he serves. This award is a well-earned recognition of his impact in Mackinac County and beyond.”
Mr. Kasper has more than 18 years of experience in the field of emergency management. Most recently, he played a critical role in the response to the Northern Michigan ice storm in March 2025, which prompted both local and state emergency declarations for Mackinac County.
Mr. Kasper also serves on the Michigan PEM Advisory Board and is a certified instructor of multiple incident command system courses.
In 2023, Mr. Kasper developed and led Operation Safe Harbor, a large-scale emergency exercise that engaged the Michigan National Guard in constructing a floating dock on the west side of the island to support the evacuation of Mackinac Island residents and visitors in the event of an attack or other failure of the island’s port.
Mr. Kasper is known for mentoring new emergency managers and strengthening planning efforts throughout District 8, which covers the entire Upper Peninsula. He regularly collaborates with pipeline and rail stakeholders, particularly on emergency planning related to the four energy pipelines that run beneath the Straits of Mackinac; and the and the Canadian National Railway which runs through the Eastern Upper Peninsula. He has also participated in meetings in Washington, D.C., to share his expertise on Line 5 and Mackinac County’s emergency planning and response capabilities.
For more information on how to prepare before, during and after an emergency or disaster, visit www.michigan.gov/miready or follow MSP/EMHSD on X at @MichEMHS.
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