Dingman sworn in as sheriff, Greiner named Emergency Management Director

MORRIS - Stevens County has a new sheriff and a new emergency management director after Jason Dingman and Dona Greiner were sworn into their new roles at a ceremony at the Stevens County Courthouse on Monday, Dec. 31.

Dingman has worked law enforcement in Stevens County since 1992 when he was hired as a reserve deputy. He was hired to work full time for the sheriff's office in 1996 and has been working in Stevens County since.

During his time with the sheriff's office, Dingman helped found and organize West Central SWAT and been involved with the department's switch to new dispatch and radio technologies.

At the ceremony Monday, Greiner was sworn in as Stevens County Emergency Management Director, and Ann Vipond and Dingman were sworn in as Deputy Emergency Management Directors.

The Stevens County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 at a meeting Monday morning to name Greiner Emergency Management Director at the recommendation of former Sheriff Randy Willis.

Commissioners Larry Sayre, Paul Watzke, and Jeanne Ennen voted to appoint Greiner, while Commissioners Ron Staples and Phil Gausman voted against.

Staples pointed out that the board had previously voted to appoint Greiner emergency management director on an interim basis until Dingman could be sworn in and decide how he would like to proceed.

"I thought we'd taken care of this at our last meeting and now it's here again," Staples said. "It makes us look like we can't make a decision -- now we're going to change our mind again."

When asked, Dingman told the board he had no doubts about the arrangement to name Greiner the director.

"[Dona] does a wonderful job and I think she deserves it at this point right now," said Dingman. "I have no intentions at this point of even two or four years down the road taking that title away from her. That's why we decided to go forward with it at this meeting."