Williamson County would like to recognize Kenneth Schnell for his 22 years of outstanding dedication and service. 

EMS DIRECTOR KENNY SCHNELL ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT
 
                October 7, 2016 (Williamson County, TX) – Kenny Schnell, director of Williamson County Emergency Medical Services (WCEMS), has announced his retirement. Schnell began working for Williamson County in 1994. His last day will be November 3, 2016.
To celebrate his 22 years with Williamson County, a retirement reception will be held on October 28 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Williamson County historic courthouse, 710 S. Main Street, in the old district courtroom.  The reception is open to the public and will be a come and go event with light refreshments served. 
Throughout his career with WCEMS, Schnell has held every operational position within the service, from paramedic to station officer, commander, and director, as well as serving outside WCEMS as a critical care flight paramedic with experience through such industry institutions as Scott & White Hospital Temple, Medevac, and StatAir International. In addition, he has been active in the region participating in the Capital Area Trauma Regional Advisory Committee (CATRAC) and serving as the chair of the CATRAC Executive Board. Schnell has served on the Austin Community College Paramedic Advisory Board since 2007 and held the position of chair for that committee since 2011. He currently also serves as the chair of the Williamson County Systems of Care.
Kenny Schnell has served as EMS director since 2008. In that time, Williamson County EMS has received numerous accolades including most recently being granted accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) in September 2016. Williamson County EMS was one of only nine out of 782 Texas EMS systems and 175 out of approximately 16,000 EMS systems in the United States to be granted this accreditation. 
In 2012, Schnell was instrumental in the development, funding, and implementation of the Williamson County EMS Community Health Paramedicine Program. This program was designed to help patients access the right resources at the right time. Since its inception, the program has met this goal and is a model for other Community Health Paramedicine programs.
Williamson County EMS was the recipient of the American Heart Association Mission Lifeline Gold Award for multiple years, including 2016. The award recognizes WCEMS for their continued work, training and commitment in improving the overall quality of care for the STEMI (heart attack) patients in Williamson County.  
In November 2014, Kenny Schnell was named EMS Administrator of the Year. The EMS Administrator Award honors an administrator at the local, city, county, regional or state level who has made a positive contribution to EMS and is committed to building a strong team able to respond effectively. The award is a fitting tribute to a career spent serving others.
“Our EMS mission to respect, care and serve will always be in my DNA, and I will take that with me as I move forward in my next endeavor in life,” stated Mr. Schnell. “My retirement is a result of an opportunity that I have decided to pursue which I feel will have an effect on the profession as a whole.  I have complete faith that WCEMS will be prosperous as a leader in the industry and remain the outstanding provider in Williamson County as it has been for more than 40 years.”