According to Atchison County Clerk Susan Carrigan, in answer to questions posed through email by MSC Radio News, Damon Bowen has been hired to fill that position. His duties in that role began August 10.
Bowen brings permanency to the role that's been held since early this year by Emily Sternsdorff following an early January UTV crash that left then Superintendent Joe Snyder injured. Sternsdorff was first named as acting Superintendent on January 20 and then installed officially in the interim at the May 12 meeting of the Commission.
It's not immediately clear when Bowen was hired for the position, with his name not found in any 2026 Commission meeting minutes, with the last discussion pertaining to the Road and Bridge Superintendent scheduled to be held in Executive Session at the July 28 meeting. The Commission did not hold a meeting on August 4, days prior to Bowen's August 10 start.
According to past reporting by MSC Radio News, Bowen, a resident of Muscotah, was hired as Transportation Director and Bus Supervisor for the South Brown County Schools of USD 430 in 2019, with online records noting that employment as active as recently as late August.
