Judge Executive George Sparks has been named the Kentucky Emergency Management Association’s Judge Executive of the Year in recognition of his leadership and support of emergency management and public safety in Lewis County.
Sparks was recognized during the Kentucky Emergency Services Conference in Louisville on September 10.
KEMA’s Judge Executive of the Year award recognizes a chief elected official who goes above and beyond to ensure the success of the community’s emergency management program.
Sparks brings a unique perspective to that responsibility. A longtime firefighter, paramedic, and emergency room professional, he previously served as Lewis County Emergency Management Director before becoming judge executive in 2022.
As emergency management director, Sparks worked to strengthen the county’s emergency planning, training, warning capabilities, and relationships with Kentucky Emergency Management, the National Weather Service, and other response partners.
He helped Lewis County achieve recognition as a StormReady community and supported development of local Community Emergency Response Team and search and rescue capabilities.
His support for emergency management continued after he became judge executive.
During Sparks’ administration, Lewis County established its own county-operated ambulance service, completed its transition to Next Generation 911, strengthened emergency communications and public warning capabilities, and continued investing in training and professional development for emergency responders.
Sparks has also supported emergency management personnel pursuing advanced training and participating in regional and statewide response efforts, including deployments to assist other Kentucky communities during disasters.
Emergency Management Director Dennis Brown served as deputy director while Sparks was emergency management director and succeeded Sparks as director when Sparks left the position to seek the office of judge executive.
“George understands emergency management because he has done the job,” Brown said. “He understands what it is like to get the call in the middle of the night and have to bring people and resources together to solve a problem. As judge executive, he has never forgotten that. When we have identified something we need to make Lewis County better prepared or our responders better equipped, he has consistently worked with us to find a way to make it happen.”
Kentucky Emergency Management Area 7 Manager Jason York said Sparks’ background as a responder and emergency manager gives him an understanding of preparedness that is unusual among elected officials.
“George understands that a strong emergency management program is built long before a disaster occurs. He supports training, planning, partnerships, and the people who do the work. That kind of support from a county’s chief elected official makes a tremendous difference when an emergency does happen.”
Sparks said receiving the award is particularly meaningful because of his years working alongside first responders.
“I have spent most of my life around emergency services, and I know what the men and women who answer those calls are asked to do,” Sparks said. “My job as judge executive is to make sure they have the support, training, equipment, and resources they need to take care of our people. This award may have my name on it, but it reflects the work of a lot of dedicated people in Lewis County who are willing to serve their neighbors when they need them most.”
There is also a historical connection between Sparks and the award. While serving as Lewis County Emergency Management Director, Sparks nominated then-Lewis County Judge Executive Anthony Todd Ruckel for the same recognition. Ruckel was named KEMA Judge Executive of the Year in 2017. Nine years later, Sparks received the honor himself.
The award has had a strong northeastern Kentucky presence in recent years. Rowan County Judge Executive Harry Clark received the honor in 2025, Greenup County Judge Executive Bobby Hall in 2024, and Elliott County Judge Executive Myron Lewis in 2023.
Sparks said the recognition reinforces the importance of continuing to strengthen Lewis County’s ability to prepare for and respond to emergencies.
“You hope the disaster never comes, but you have to prepare as though it will,” Sparks said. “We are going to continue looking for ways to make Lewis County safer, support our responders, and make sure we’re ready when our citizens need us.”
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