BEMIDJI — Bemidji Fire Chief Justin Sherwood is the first recipient of the new Northwest Technical College IMPACT Award.
IMPACT stands for Innovation, Mastery, Progress, Achievement, Community and Technology. The award honors individuals who fulfill those six pillars and recognizes the recipient for their association and contribution to the college, according to a news release.
Sherwood became fire chief in 2021 and has a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Bemidji State and a certificate from NTC, in addition to other degrees.
As fire chief, he "works to develop a departmental culture of accountability, excellence and continuous improvement," the release said. Sherwood is also the Region 2 northern representative for the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association and has work published in firefighting magazines on mental health, leadership, organizational culture and the evolving challenges facing today’s fire services.
Sherwood was presented the award May 1, at NTC. He will share his experiences at the Northwest Technical College commencement Friday, May 9.
