Jon helped us produce not only our annual conferences, but theme-based conferences on unique hazards, coastal management, multi-objective management, and many others. His CV spans 15 pages, and that’s just part of the story. To get a sense of what Jon accomplished, Google his name and take a deep dive into the pages and pages of his achievements and contributions, national boards and commissions he served on as well as awards, reports, research, and publications he wrote on managing floods and wetlands to reduce flood losses and protect natural floodplain and water resources for the nation. You will become exhausted just reading about it. He was a remarkable human being who advanced our profession more than almost anyone else (he would want us to say “with the exception of Gilbert White”).

Jon not only worked with Larry in the 1970s on many relevant policy issues related to floodplain and wetland management; he helped establish the ASFPM Bylaws and advised on committee structure as the backbone for the Association’s efforts. Jon served as the Program Coordinator for the Association’s first national technical conference in Madison in 1982, a most pivotal event. 

Perhaps most importantly, Jon was a wonderful person; kind, humble, concerned and worldly, and as his son Gilbert says — a man of adventure, kindness, passion, and intellect. Jon and Larry would take long walks along lakeshores in Madison while discussing what they could do to advance the profession and make the world a safer place from flooding. When the Great Midwest Flood occurred over a six-month period in 1993, they worked with the Clinton administration (Jon knew key people in the administration who agreed to work with us hold meetings along the Mississippi River and other areas impacted in the Midwest to identify approaches to help the affected nine states and hundreds of communities build back better to avoid these problems in the future.

Jon also started in 1984, the Association of State Wetland Managers (now the National Association of Wetland Managers NAWM), which continues to be a voice for wetland values and a valuable partner of ASFPM. We collaborate closely with them on many activities and projects in protecting the nature based functions of floodplains that naturally reduce flood losses. NAWM has created a scholarship in his name. 

Jon passed away in 2020, and the national and ASFPM lost a dear friend and mentor. Some members shared their memories of Jon as part of a tribute ASFPM posted after his death:

Jon was the person that always had more ideas than you had time to discuss. He reminded me of the celebrated homerun hitters of baseball that had plenty of strikeouts, but when they connect with the ball it is a thing of amazement to watch the ball land in the upper deck…time after time. In the summer of 1993 in the midst of the Great Midwest Flood, I as ASFPM Chair, and Larry Larson met with Jon in DC to discuss a path forward to leverage this flood for policy gain. What emanated from that time was the most influential shift in floodplain management policy across all agencies. Jon was a partner and mentor to us, but most important he got the door open for us into the Clinton administration such that we engaged the administration from day 1. This led to jointly held meetings in Missouri that brought Sr agency staff, White House staff, congressional staffers, and state officials to discuss a new path forward. ASFPM was justifiably proud of what was accomplished, however it was a Kusler long ball into the upper deck and his partnership that set the stage for much of what happened in 93-95. As a nation we still benefit from that vision today. –  Doug Plasencia

I sent this to my students at Wharton upon learning of Jon’s passing:

All, I wanted to share with you this time of tribute to Jon Kusler who has made monumental contributions to floodplain and wetland management. It’s an email from Larry Larson on Jon’s achievements.

Why am I bothering you about this? As you progress in your career, you will more and more appreciate the standouts that have moved the ball forward. It is not easy to move the ball forward, and Jon was a ball carrier, a mentor and collaborator. Jon is seated with the Gilbert White crowd, as we now say major “influencers” or “change maker” in their field.

You may recall me saying that Jon was one of the top people in floodplain and wetlands takings case law.

We stand on the shoulders of those that came before us and mentor us. Let us advance the ball – it is how we pay them tribute. – John Miller

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I think I first met Jon in the late 1970s in relation to an ASFPM meeting. He became a regular, always with good ideas and good advice. When I ran for Chair in 1987, Jon cornered me and gave me his advice on one of the top issues of the day. I took it and it worked. It always paid off to listen to Jon Kusler and our profession is now the better for it. – French Wetmore

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I loved that Jon did the DC thing as well as he did the rural living thing. Back in the 80s I lived in Vermont and our paths would cross in DC as well as in upstate NY and in Vermont. He was so imaginative and I was so impressed with this floodplain and his wetlands organizing and writing, I am sorry I had lost touch in recent years. Love seeing the thoughtful warm comments from Larry, French, Doug and others. – Eve Gruntfest

“Jon was an unstoppable force during the 1970s and 1980s as well as following the 1993 Great Midwest flood, in driving the blossoming ASFPM towards forming connections with academia, federal entities, and nonprofit groups. His creative mind never ceased matching up people, talent, missions, programs, and funding. Without wanting or taking credit, he vastly expanded the young ASFPM’s credibility in professional and academic circles, while drawing attention to the value of its members’ particular expertise.” – Jacki Monday