Staff
Tracey joined the Polk County Emergency Management Agency on June 13, 2016. She earned a Bachelor of Science from Drake University where she graduated Suma Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and with university honors. Tracey holds a Master of Public Administration (policy concentration) from Drake University, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Houston Law Center. She also attended the A.A. White Dispute Resolution Center to become a trained mediator.
Tracey previously worked as a federal agent with the United States Border Patrol in Laredo, Texas. While serving as a Border Patrol Agent, she had the opportunity to serve as a line agent, the Interim Peer Support Coordinator, and worked directly for the Chief Patrol Agent (CPA) of Laredo Sector on special projects, policy, and program review.
Dutch became a member of the Polk County Emergency Management team in August of 2020. Dutch has an extensive background in critical infrastructure protection, business continuity planning, training and public outreach and education.
Dutch served with the United States Army and Iowa Army National Guard for twelve years before accepting a position with the Cedar Falls Police Department in Cedar Falls, Iowa. While with the police department, he held positions as patrolman, investigator, tactical team leader, and patrol lieutenant. In 2003, Dutch left the police department to become the Homeland Security Program Manager with the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division of the Iowa Department of Public Defense. In this position, he assisted emergency response agencies in Incident Command, threat response, and other areas. He managed homeland security programs at the state level and assisted in the distribution of Homeland Security grant preparedness funding. He left that position in 2009 to become a Protective Security Advisor for the United States Department of Homeland Security. He served in the South Dakota District with state, local, and tribal government leaders in the identification of and protection of critical infrastructure within their region.
In 2015, Dutch returned to Iowa to become the executive director of the Safeguard Iowa Partnership, a public/private partnership whose mission is to better prepare Iowa to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters through the collaboration of public sector agencies and private businesses. While in this position, Dutch helped to establish workshops to train businesses in the development of business continuity plans, development of emergency plans, complete threat and hazard analysis to make them more resilient during times of man-made and natural disasters.
Laura Kacer joined the Polk County Emergency Management Agency on September 11, 2023 with almost 30 years of experience in public education and 20 years in leadership roles.
Kacer comes to Polk County Emergency Management from Johnston Community School District, where she served as Superintendent, Executive Director of Human Resources and Middle School Principal. Prior to that, she served as Middle School Principal and various other leadership roles within the Des Moines Public School District.
In each of these capacities, Kacer was instrumental in helping to develop emergency operations plans, focusing on the safety, security and the well-being of the staff and students. During her leadership as the superintendent, Kacer along with many key internal and external stakeholders helped to lead the district through the COVID 19 pandemic and helped to develop and implement responsive and dynamic return to learn plans.
Kacer received her specialist degree in educational administration from Drake University in 2014, and her masters degree in educational leadership from Drake University in 1998. Her undergraduate work, a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, was completed at Grand View University in 1995.
As a lifelong resident and advocate of the greater Polk County community, Kacer served on the Education Executive board for Junior Achievement USA. She is a current member of the West Des Moines Rotary Club. Kacer has also been appointed by Governor Reynolds in 2023 as the Compact Commissioner for the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3).
Brett joined the Polk County Emergency Management Agency on May 22, 2023. He brings a strong background in communications and severe weather awareness, with nearly 15 years of experience as a meteorologist for WHO13, the NBC television affiliate in Des Moines.
Having spent countless hours on the air, and in classrooms across Central Iowa providing outreach and education to students of all ages, he is looking forward to continuing to foster that public connection through the Agency’s Training and Exercise program. After many years as a media partner disseminating info for awareness and preparedness, warnings and calls-to-action, and reporting on disaster aftermath, he is excited for the opportunity to work hands-on with many of those existing partnerships and develop new connections helping set up people and communities for success.
Brett was in Parkersburg, Iowa minutes after the 2008 EF-5 tornado, and was live on-air for the 2021 EF-3 in Lake City, and 2022 EF-4 in Winterset, both of which he spent time at the scene the following days. Spending time at the scene of such disasters has made a lasting impression on the importance of a strong, community-focused emergency management program for all individuals.
Originally from Fort Dodge, Iowa, Brett graduated from Iowa State University in 2008 with degrees in both Meteorology and in Journalism and Mass Communication. He lives in Des Moines with his wife and daughter, and can often be found in the tailgating lots of Jack Trice Stadium on Saturdays in the fall
In September 2004, the Polk County Emergency Management Commission appointed A.J. Mumm to lead the countywide agency responsible for preparing for, responding to, and recovering from natural and man-made disasters. He originally began his service with the Polk County Emergency Management Agency in January 1999 as a disaster mitigation planner and went on to join the State of Iowa’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division in July 2001 where he was eventually promoted to the position of Chief Planner. He had also served as a Firefighter and EMT with the Ankeny (Iowa) Fire Department for more than 12 years.
Mumm, a graduate of Drake University (BA – Biology and Geography) and Iowa State University (Master of Community and Regional Planning), is also an alumnus of the 2005 Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute’s Transformational Leadership Program. He has taught as an Adjunct Instructor at Drake University, Des Moines Area Community College, and currently teaches with the Texas A&M University’s Engineering Extension Service (TEEX).
He has been published and regularly speaks on the topics of hazard analysis and risk assessment, critical asset protection, and comprehensive emergency planning. A.J. is a recipient of the 2008 Iowa State Association of Counties’ Individual Excellence Awards for Polk County’s response to the severe weather and flooding of 2008. Mumm is a Past-President of the Iowa Emergency Management Association and serves as Past-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Safeguard Iowa Partnership; a public-private partnership focused on disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. He currently serves on the Iowa State Association of Counties Board of Directors.
Mumm has worked internationally as an advisor to the Republic of Kosovo. This included several trips to the Balkans as part of the Iowa National Guard’s State Partnership Program. He is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) through the International Association of Emergency Managers. A native of Westside, Iowa, A.J. and his wife Sabetha live in Ankeny, Iowa. They have two children and two dogs. They enjoy sports, outdoor recreation, and travel.
Patty joined the Polk County Emergency Management Agency July 1, 2019. She has been in some type of office administration for the past 31 years. She moved from Delmar, IA to Greene, IA where she was an Office Administrator for Butler County Public Health Department. She also was the administrator for two different state grant programs. She reloacted to Ankeny with her husband.
Her husband was formerly the Director of Emergency Management in Butler County Iowa and she assisted him during times of disasters and emergencies.
Patty has always enjoyed working with emergency responders in some fashion and is looking forward to that opportunity with Polk County Emergency Management.
Cameron joined the Polk County Emergency Management Agency March 21, 2016. Cameron has an extensive background in emergency management, hazardous materials response, emergency medical services and emergency communications.
As an Iowa Air National Guard member, he is part of the National Guard’s FEMA Region VII Mobile Emergency Operations Center team. Cameron has served in the Iowa National Guard as an Emergency Manager and also as a medic. As a member of the Civil Support Team, Cameron received extensive hazardous materials and weapons of mass destruction training.
Cameron has served as Chair and Co-Chair on national committees within the Air National Guard Emergency Management. He has also been a lead instructor, evaluator, and planner for exercises and training events for the Air National Guard.