Russell City Manager Jon Quinday was presented with the 2024 Edgar P. Schowalter Award by Kansas Municipal Utilities, the statewide association of community-owned and operated electric, gas, water and wastewater utilities in Kansas.
The award, the highest honor presented by KMU, is given to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the municipal utility industry. Quinday was presented the award at the KMU 2024 Conference in Wichita on April 25 by KMU Executive Director Brad Mears.
"Jon Quinday has been a strong voice for the municipal utility business model to provide essential utility services to the community they serve, and he has represented the municipal utility interests of his community to members of Congress and the Kansas Legislature," said Mears. "Jon also has provided thoughtful guidance on utility-related issues as well as valued input on the operation and planning for Kansas Municipal Utilities."
With a background as a combat veteran in the US Army and former Russell Police Chief, he was named City Manager of Russell in 2012. Russell is a full-service municipality with over 90 employees and an annual budget exceeding $30 million, with electric, water, wastewater, sewer and sanitation utilities, along with countywide 911 communications.
Throughout his career, he has firsthand insight into the complexities of municipal governance and municipal utility management. In addition, his public service extends beyond local government. Quinday has also served as school board president, president of the Kansas Municipal Energy Agency and a board member for Kansas Municipal Utilities and the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police. He has always been a strong advocate of the importance of public service.
The Schowalter Award is named after the late Ed Schowalter, who was an outstanding leader in the municipal utility industry, both in Kansas and across the United States. Schowalter served the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities for 28 years and was as a guiding force for KMU for over 27 years.