McKenzie County Emergency Manager Resigned Amid Ongoing Personnel and Interagency Concerns
Travis Bateman
Farmer Staff Writer
Newly obtained county disciplinary records and internal emails reveal McKenzie County Emergency Manager Karolin Jappe was the subject of multiple corrective actions and an escalating human resources investigation in the months leading up to her resignation, culminating in allegations of repeated policy violations, deteriorating professional relationships, and ongoing concerns over communications tied to emergency management and E-911 operations.
The documents provide the clearest picture yet into mounting tensions inside McKenzie County’s emergency management structure and reveal county officials had already placed Jappe on a performance improvement plan weeks before her departure was announced publicly.
According to a May 13, 2026 email from McKenzie County Human Resources Director Stephanie Raver to the Board of County Commissioners, HR recommended commissioners accept Jappe’s resignation effective July 17, 2026, but terminate her active employment around May 19 while continuing pay and benefits through July.
Raver wrote the recommendation was based on “ongoing operational concerns” within the Emergency Management Department and an increasing divide between county emergency management leadership and outside partner agencies.
“At this time, HR’s concern is that Ms. Jappe is actively working against established County practices, is not adequately training her new employee, and that the division between McKenzie County Emergency Management and neighboring agencies we must work closely with continues to grow daily,” Raver stated.
Progressive Discipline Began Months Earlier
Records show the county’s concerns predated the resignation by several months.
A March 26, 2026 “Fact Finding Summary and Investigation” prepared by Raver detailed a formal investigation into Jappe’s communications with state fire training officials and other agencies.
The investigation stemmed from a March 25 email exchange involving a “Minimum Training Standards Workshop” organized by Alison Vetter with the North Dakota Forest Service.
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