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Murray County Emergency Management Director Carl Nyquist
At the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) Conference last month, Murray County was the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Performance Award in the Property/Casualty Division.
The award is voted on by Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust (MCIT) Board of Directors on criteria that includes performance in risk management and loss control efforts, responsiveness to MCIT program initiatives and improvements in property/casualty claims and administration over the coverage years of 2021-2024.
Murray County Emergency Management Director Carl Nyquist has been in charge of risk management training and the safety committee in that timeframe. He said the county’s insurance moderate rate has dropped by 50 percent.
That means the county’s accidents have dropped over the past four years and we’ve reduced loss by 49 percent,” Nyquist said. “Our safety committee has open discussions about what each department has going on and addresses issues.”
Murray County Deputy Administratopr Sharon Giese said Nyquist’s collaborative abilities have been instrumental to the county’s safety and success.
“Carl has a remarkable ability to bring people together. His approach to safety is grounded in an open-door philosophy, clear communication and strong collaboration,” Giese stated. “Since joining Murray County, he has played a key role is reducing our loss rate, which speaks volumes about his effectiveness and dedication.”
According to Giese, the county is fortunate to have Nyquist serving as the EM. The role, she said, suits him well and his drive to introduce new ideas and continuously improve safety for both staff and the community is impressive.
“Since starting with the county, Carl has helped lead several impactful initiatives, including organizing a Wellness Fair, coordinating a full-scale emergency drill involving multiple service organizations and successfully securing a grant for jail security cameras.” Giese stated. “He has a strong grasp of safety concerns and takes a proactive, solutions-focused approach to addressing them promptly.”
According to Nyquist, accidents and people getting hurt at work is what drives the moderate rate when it comes to insurance.
“It’s about what we get charged,” he explained. “If we’re more of a risk, the charge is higher. Lowering the risk means we are saving the taxpayers money.” AMC partners with MCIT and the Minnesota Safety Council on the moderate rate. Nyquist said one of the proactive moves Murray County has made during his tenure as Emergency Management Director has been applying for grants to purchase equipment that will make job duties safer.
“Having a new highway shop, new building and new equipment has helped,” Nyquist added. “This is all about loss control and risk management. We mitigate loss by assessing risk.”
