Candidate for 2nd Vice President
Jennifer Reese, CPE

Assistant Director – Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency

My name is Jennifer Reese and I’m running for APCO International 2nd Vice President.

I began my career in 1990, working in a rural ECC as a calltaker/dispatcher. Over the last 35 years, I’ve been able to work in a variety of different roles in the ECC, including being a Trainer, Supervisor, Operations Manager, Communications Technician, CAD Manager, Radio System Manager, and my current role as Assistant Director. This varied experience has allowed me to be involved in the ECC’s at multiple levels and to see the varied skills and positions that are required for the success of our profession. Each of these positions have also prepared me for this role and understanding not only the operational, but the technological needs of an ECC that will influence the decisions affecting our members.

In December 2002, I was elected the Oregon APCO Chapter Secretary. In addition to this role, I was elected as Vice President of our Chapter in 2011. An opportunity with a commercial vendor in 2013 necessitated me stepping down from our Executive Board, however, I returned to work at an ECC in mid-2014. I’ve served on various Chapter committees over the years, including Training, Finance and Legislative. In December 2014, I was elected as the Chapter Executive Council Representative and served in that role for five years. During my Executive Council tenure, I served on the Management Committee, including serving as Chair of the Committee.

In January, 2019, I was able to attend and graduate from the APCO Certified Public Safety Executive course (Class #5). This was a life-changing course and provided me with excellent tools to use in my Leadership journey. In August, 2020, I was elected as one of the Western Regional Representatives to the Board of Directors, serving in that capacity through August, 2024. In that role I also served as a member of the Finance and Budget Committee for three years. Also, in August, 2024, I’m proud to say I was awarded the distinction of APCO Life Member by a vote of the membership quorum at the National Conference.

Serving in these roles at a Chapter and a National level has given me the experience necessary to succeed as 2nd Vice President. Since announcing my candidacy, I have attended the Board of Directors meeting in January and I’ve been able to attend the Executive Committee calls since April. This has allowed me to further prepare for taking on this role by understanding what is currently happening and the priorities of the Association.

I’ve been able to meet with many of the different Chapter Executive Boards since the beginning of the year, introducing myself and giving some background on why I’m seeking this role. There are two main aspects that I really would like to focus on during my tenure. One being mental wellness and the other being mentorship.

I’ve thought a lot about why I’m running and what I can do to further our profession. We have a great Wellness Committee and APCO has hosted conferences focusing specifically on 9-1-1 Wellness, the last one occurring in March 2025. Having witnessed the pressure and emotional toll our telecommunicators face daily throughout my career, from a rural two-position center to a large 24-position ECC, I feel deeply about the need to bolster mental wellness support within our profession. This includes advocating for peer support programs within agencies and identifying best practices for leadership to recognize and address signs of burnout. The loss of a dear friend to suicide underscored the critical gaps that may exist. I am committed to ensuring APCO takes a proactive and comprehensive approach to the well-being of our members.

Related to mentorship, I’ve said a few times that I was very lucky to have been surrounded by some great mentors over the years. I think this role is an important one and can be life and career changing for any role in the ECC. Continuing current committee goals around mentorship and strengthening that area of our Association is important. The next leaders of our Association may just be starting their careers, so having someone they can look to and call upon to help guide them makes a difference. Being a mentor is another way to give back to this profession and Association. We are stronger because of our members and I’m driven to ensuring we can continue to bring new leadership up in the Association as we move forward.

In closing, I look forward to continuing to be of service to all our members and can assure you that I will do my best to continue APCO’s tradition of leadership in public safety communications. As such, I humbly ask for your support and vote as 2nd Vice President.

Respectfully,

Jennifer L. Reese, CPE, ENP