Zim Schwartze, former director of the Columbia/Boone County Office of Emergency Management, has been hired as a consultant to evaluate the Callaway County 911 call center, Callaway County Western District Commissioner Doc Kritzer said Thursday.
Schwartze worked for the Columbia Police Department for 17 years and was promoted to police captain before she was transferred three years ago to head the Columbia/Boone County Office of Emergency Management, which includes the 911 call center.
"We are fortunate to be able to hire a temporary consultant who is experienced in not only the operation of a 911 call center but also as a police officer," Kritzer said.
Schwartze is now available to do consulting because of a move earlier this year to trim $1 million from the Columbia city budget. In a city reorganization, the job Schwartze held was eliminated five months ago by Columbia City Manager Mike Matthes.
The city manager said the change was only a budget move. He said Schwartze has left the OEM operation in better shape than she found it. The former deputy director of the OEM agency was named to head the department.