EDWARDSVILLE - Incumbent Madison County Coroner Stephen P. Nonn is announcing that he is seeking re-election for a sixth term of experienced and qualified leadership for the position as the county’s chief death investigator.
“Doing what is best to provide exceptional services to the public - both seen and unseen – is my underlying principle in leadership and management”, according to Nonn. “We set standards high for what we do, which is usually under very tragic and trying circumstances, but when you are vested with the responsibility of giving voice to the dead, mediocrity is simply not acceptable.”
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Nonn was first elected in 2000, following a 26-year career with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department with 20 of those years assigned to the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis rising to deputy commander of the squad. He brought to the Coroner’s Office an Associate Degree in Law Enforcement from Southwestern Illinois College and a bachelor’s degree from McKendree College majoring in Administration of Justice.
Since becoming Coroner, he has completed the Illinois Coroner basic training course, the Illinois Law Enforcement Executive Institute’s “Police Executive Role in the 21st Century” course of instruction, along with a multitude of specialized and technical education and training programs related to death investigation and case management.
Nonn recapped the accomplishments over the past four terms, starting with day one.
“One of my first orders of business after being elected Madison County Coroner was to make certain that this office was manned 24 hours a day 365 days a year”, Nonn stated, adding “and I still maintain that level of service today. It has been a process of realigning shifts, assessing personnel levels and staffing, and even common-sense steps like integrating all-wheel and four-wheel-drive vehicles into the fleet to enable us to go come rain, shine, or snow.”
Nonn shared some of his accomplishments over the past four terms with pride, that includes:
Established professional standards that he, along with all full-time investigators of the Madison County Coroner’s Office, completed the prerequisite requirements, passed examination, and achieved certification by the nationally recognized American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators. This was coupled with enhanced, expanded, and ongoing training for all career staff in the ever-evolving field of death investigation and implementing an evolving Standard Operating Procedures and Policy Manual for guidance.
Direct involvement in the planning and completion of the second-generation Madison County Morgue in Wood River, Illinois, with evolving improvements in capabilities over the years and continuing to eye needs for future evolutions.
Editorially contributed and collaborated, along with then Madison County State’s Attorney Bill Haine, in the completion of the statutorily required Homicide and Questionable Death Protocol which was recently updated with Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons and is agreed to and followed by all Police and Fire Departments in Madison County.
Increased and expanded information technology within the office, instituting case file management software, digitalization of photography and videography, and have made drone and professional surveying technology available to document death and crime scenes. The office also initiating an annual report and review of the caseload and activities of the Madison County Coroner’s Office to the taxpayers and Madison County Board.
Expanded community awareness with doubling of the number of public and school presentations concerning the functions of this office and the potential dangers that can lead to untimely deaths, established a social media presence, and providing professional education and training for our public safety partner agencies.
Continued education in mass disaster and bio-chemical terrorism preparations not only for career staff but to the 30 reserve, volunteer deputies that have been recruited and prepared to assist in mass fatality events with extensive involvement in planning, equipping, and training on a regional basis on both sides of the river with adjoining coroner and medical examiner offices.
Mentored our future death investigators by instituting a college intern program with students from
SIUE, Lewis and Clark College, Eastern Kentucky University and Southwestern Illinois College participating as well as working with area schools in High School Job Shadow opportunities.
Led in educating and combating the current opioid crisis that afflicts the United States and helped establish the Madison County Heroin Task Force which later became the Partnership for Drug Free Communities and hit the ground running in the protection of our children with the Drug Smart Awareness program that educates school children and parents concerning the growing national problem with heroin and prescription drug abuse, with presentations given to thousands of middle school and high school students in and around Madison County.
Began the Madison County Elder Abuse/Fatality Review Team with Madison County being only the second Coroner’s Office in the State of Illinois to have such a team.
Through the years, Nonn has been included in policy and management professional development activities that affect the death investigation and public safety community as well as receiving accolades from others which include:
Appointment as Vice-Chairman of the Legislative Committee of Illinois Coroners & Medical Examiners Association (ICMEA)
Executive Member of the Training Advisory Board for the Illinois Coroners and Medical Examiners Association
Presidency of the Illinois Coroner’s & Medical Examiners Association (ICMEA)
Board Member for the St. Louis Major Case Squad
Advisory Board Member for the Illinois State Police Forensic Science Laboratory
Founding member of The Society of Medicolegal Death Investigators. (SOMDI)
Former board Member for Illinois Terrorism Task Force
Board Chairman of the Southern Illinois Child Death Task Force
Board Member for the Madison County Child Advocacy Center
Member of Illinois Attorney General’s Safe Home Coalition
Recognized by NAACP - Alton Branch receiving the Civic Service Award in recognition of service to Citizens of Madison County
Recognized by Department of Defense and awarded the Above and Beyond Award for employer support of the Guard and Reserve.
Despite how the resume’ of Nonn and the Coroner’s Office looks on paper, he remains grounded to the bottom line of what a death investigator is made of. “What is most meaningful to me and my staff of investigators is that we truly believe in and ascribe to the belief that the high road to service is traveled with integrity, compassion, and understanding. The citizens of Madison County who need this office in times of family crisis don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. I know we do this as a matter of routine day in and day out.”
“I trust that the citizens of Madison County will approve of and acknowledge the accomplishments I have made while in this Office and hope they will allow me continue in that capacity as I will seek the endorsement of the Madison County Democratic Party to run for another term in the November 2020 election for the Office of Madison County Coroner and more importantly – when the time comes - receive the approving vote of the broad spectrum of the electorate for whom we are there”, Nonn concluded.
