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 that agency in January 1999 as a disaster mitigation planner and went on to join the State of Iowa’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department in July 2001 where he was eventually promoted to the position of Chief Planner.  During that time he has 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 Texas A&M University’s Emergency Services Training Institute (ESTI-TEEX). 

He is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) through the International Association of Emergency Managers.  Mumm has 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.  A.J. was a long-term member of the Iowa Type III Incident Management Team where he served as both Logistics and Planning Section Chief positions.  This team has been deployed throughout Iowa and the United States. 

A native of Westside, Iowa, A.J. and his wife Sabetha have two children and two yellow labs.  They currently live in Ankeny, Iowa.  The family enjoys sports, outdoor recreation, and traveling.