LIFE MEMBERS

 

APCO International Life Members

 

Nathan McClure

Public Safety Consultant

AECOM, Inc.

(Past President – APCO International August 1978 to August 1979)

 

John T. “Jack” Keating

 Retired

(Past President – APCO International August 1998 to August 1999)

 

Steve Souder

Director

 Fairfax County Department Public Safety Communications

 

Tom Hanson

Executive Director

Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle County Emergency Communications

 

Terry Hall

Communications Manager

 York County Emergency Communications

 

William M. Lee *

Deceased

(Past President – APCO International August 1971 to August 1972 - Virginia)

* Deceased

 

Virginia Chapter Life Members

 

Steve Souder

Director

 Fairfax County Department Public Safety Communications

 

Ronald Wade *

Deceased

Retired Superintendent, City of Roanoke 9-1-1

 

Melinda Bramley

Retired Training and Retention Specialist

 Virginia Beach 9-1-1 Emergency Communications

 

Tom Hanson

Executive Director

Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle County Emergency Communications

 

Terry Hall

Communications Manager

 York County Emergency Communications

 

Phil Heins

Retired Director of Communications

 Hanover County Emergency Communications

 

* Deceased

 

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A Little About Our Life Members

(Updates Coming on the APCO International Life Members)

 

Nathan McClure, MPA, ENP, is a senior communications operations specialist with AECOM, Inc., formerly known as CTA Communications, Inc.  He has more than 38 years’ experience in public safety communications.  Nate served as APCO International President from August 1978 to August 1979 while a member of the Illinois Chapter.

 

John “Jack” Keating served as APCO International President from August 1998 to August 1999 while a member of the California Chapter.  He is currently retired, and lives in the Williamsburg area.

 

Steve Souder, a life member of APCO International, is the Director of the Fairfax County Department of Public Safety Communications (DPSC).  Steve has over twenty years of experience in emergency communications and has represented the E-911 industry and public safety more broadly on countless professional committees, national task forces, congressional and FCC hearings. His commanding presence, passion for the job and eloquent style of speaking has inspired an entire generation of E9-1-1 professionals in Virginia and beyond.  Steve chaired the APCO Project RETAINS, a project started in 2001. The results of the project were released in 2005 and include the most extensive in depth research ever conducted on the issues impacting the recruitment, hiring, processing, training and retention of personnel in 911 public safety communications centers.

 

Ronald Wade was the retired Communications Manager of Roanoke City 9-1-1 Communications Center.  Wade began his career in Roanoke as a Police Patrol Officer, then served 13 years as a Communications Supervisor and 20 years as Communications Manager.  His responsibilities included communications project management (wireline and wireless implementation, CAD, MDS, and center upgrades), management of the 9-1-1 communications center, and management of the city-wide radio systems.  As represented by his many years of public service to the Roanoke Community and to the APCO community, he loved participating in Virginia APCO, having been a member for 21 years, serving as its President from 2002-2003, as its Fall conference chairman/co-chair for 8 years in the Roanoke Valley, member of the Region 42 800 MHz NPSPAC Committee, and a member of the State EMS Advisory Board’s Communications Committee.  He was awarded Chapter Life Membership in 2005.  Ron passed away on Monday, February 1, 2010. 

 

Melinda Bramley began her career with the Virginia Beach 911 Emergency Communications Division in 1969.  She began her career as an offense clerk and has served as dispatcher, operations supervisor, administrative supervisor and communications specialist.  Melinda is currently the Training and Retention Specialist for the division and is responsible for the planning, administration, and oversight of the Virginia Beach 911 Emergency Communications Division’s training function.  Her responsibilities also include creating activities and programs to enhance the selection, hiring and retention of Emergency Communications Division Employees.  Melinda possesses an extensive knowledge of the entire operation of the Virginia Beach Communications Division.  Melinda holds an Associates Degree in Police Science and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Human Resource Administration.  She is also an Emergency Medical Dispatch Instructor and a Department of Criminal Justices General Instructor.  Melinda represents her department/division in a positive manner in both APCO and Region 42.  Melinda has been a member of APCO (Association of Public Safety Communications Officials Inc.) since 1982, and has served on the Executive Board since 1984.  Melinda has served as Virginia APCO President, Virginia APCO Secretary and as Virginia APCO Treasurer.  She has been awarded Life Membership in the Virginia Chapter of APCO.  Melinda has been a member and served as Secretary of the Region 42 Committee since its creation in 1988 until her retirement.  Melinda was an active member of NENA.  She retired January 1, 2011.

 

Tom Hanson is Executive Director of the Charlottesville/UVA/Albemarle Emergency Communications Center.  He joined APCO in 1992.  He served as the Chapter’s Delegate to APCO International Executive Council from 2002 until 2006, and has been active on various Chapter and International committees.  He currently chairs the Chapter’s Bylaws Committee.

 

Terry Hall, now serving as APCO International First Vice-President, is Communications Manager for York County Emergency Communications.  Terry has worked diligently with APCO for over twenty years, getting to know and working with many Chapter members, whether it was on a piece of legislation, serving on a committee, or as an Executive Council member.  Terry joined APCO as a commercial vendor for the first five years of his active twenty year membership.  For the past fifteen years, he has served in the membership as a public safety professional.  During this time, he has been honored to serve in the position of President of the Virginia Chapter twice, as Treasurer of the Virginia chapter, and as legislative chair for the past ten years.  He served as the Chapter’s delegate to the International Executive Council (2008-2009). Highlighting some of the efforts he has been a part of are:

 

·         APCO Project Locate for the Commonwealth of Virginia

·         Served as co-chair for PBX MLTS for Virginia

·         Served on APCO International Strategic Planning Committee

·         Chaired the Eastern Virginia PSAP Managers

·         Chaired the APCO International Homeland Security Committee

·         Chaired APCO International’s MAPP Committee

·         Chaired two successful East Coast conferences, and served on numerous committees for both APCO International and APCO Virginia

 

In addition, he has been honored by receiving numerous awards and commendations in recognition of the work that has helped to advance the goals and objectives of both APCO and Public Safety Telecommunications.  Among the awards were the Governors Award for Excellence 2006 and the APCO International Communications Director of the Year in 2006.  He has also previously served in appointment capacity from the Governor of Virginia to the E-911 Wireless Services Board. 

 

Currently, he manages a consolidated communications Center in York County, and has done so for the past fifteen years.  He is a sworn deputy and a member of the Virginia 1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team.  A past member of Virginia 2 Urban Search & Rescue, he has had the honor of numerous deployments to hurricanes, including Katrina, Rita, and Gustav.

 

Terry has made a conscious decision to commit to the mission and goals of APCO and has been active as well as proactive within the organization to be part of creating and applying solutions rather than settling for the status quo. In believing that we can always strive to do better and to be better, Terry has exemplified the public safety professional through the presentation and enacting of new ideas and innovations within our industry not only to the benefit of individual organizations, but public safety as a whole.

 

Phil Heins is the retired Director of the Hanover County Emergency Communications Department.  A life-long resident of the County, he began his career is public safety in 1969 as a volunteer firefighter. He was hired by the Sheriff's Office in 1976 as a Communications Officer and was promoted to a Shift Supervisor in 1978. After serving in this capacity for several years, he was promoted to Director of Communications in 1983 and has served in that capacity ever since.  Heins was the County's Project Manager for the purchase and installation of the Trunked Radio System and Enhanced 911 System. He also wrote the specifications for the CAD system that is currently in use, and has been very active in the purchase of other various radio and automation equipment.  Heins served on the original committee that developed the Dispatcher Certification Program for the Commonwealth of Virginia and has been a Department of Criminal Services Instructor. He is a Past President of the Virginia Chapter of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and a Past President of Virginia APCO.  He serves as an active member of both NENA and APCO.  Heins is a lifetime member of the Hanover Courthouse Volunteer Fire Company where he served for 29 years. During his tenure with the fire company he served as Chief, Assistant Chief, Captain, and President. He was also very active in the Hanover County Association of Volunteer Fire Companies, where he held the position of Vice President for a number of years.  Through his and his staff’s efforts, the Emergency Communications Department has grown into an efficient and professional organization that provides the citizens of the County as well as the various user agencies with a very high level of service.  Heins is married to the former Rita Acors and they live in the Hanover Courthouse area with their two daughters, Kelley and Ashleigh.  He retired June 1, 2011.