Melvin (Mel) Maier was promoted to Executive Director on July 17, 2023. He brings more than 33 years of dedicated public safety service to his new role. Mel worked as a law enforcement officer for 32 years and was the captain and chief of public safety communications for the Oakland County (MI) Sheriff’s Office before joining APCO in March 2022 as its Chief Technology Officer. At Oakland County, Mel led a staff of more than 90 employees and managed a budget in excess of $11 million. Mel previously served as the vice chair of the FirstNet Public Safety Advisory Committee, chair of the Funding and Sustainment Committee at SAFECOM, and was a founding member of the Next Generation 9-1-1 Coalition, of which he is the current chair.
Mr. Stephen P. Martini, RPL, CPE
Stephen Martini serves as Director of the Metro Nashville Department of Emergency Communications. He started his career in public safety communications in 2004 and has served in a variety of roles in emergency communications operations and administration within Tennessee. Since 2018, Steve also serves as the Governor’s appointee to the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board.
Steve previously served Tennessee as a Police/Fire Dispatcher for the City of Chattanooga (2004-2008); Training/Quality Assurance Specialist for Hamilton County ECD (2008-2013); a Communications Center Supervisor for the City of Brentwood (2013-2016); Director of Williamson County DoEC (2016-2020); and Director of Metro Nashville DEC since 2020.
For the Tennessee APCO Chapter, Steve has previously served as Vice-President, President, and Executive Council Representative. For APCO International, his service highlights include Institute Instructor (2015-2020); Editorial Committee (Vice-Chair/Chair, 2010-2015); Group Leader (2015-2019); and Gulf Coast Regional Representative to the Board of Directors (2020-2022).
In his new role on the APCO Executive Committee, Steve wants to continue supporting the strength of the Association— its members. APCO’s future lies solely within the knowledge, inspiration, innovation and cooperation among our members.
Becky Neugent, CPE
Becky Neugent, an Alabama native, began her career in public-safety in 1997 and is currently serving as the Director for Autauga 911.
She was initially hired by the Clarke County Commission to tackle the addressing project to move this Alabama county from basic 911 service to enhanced 911 service. In 1999, she began researching, reviewing and then installing all technology needed for the new 911 center including CAD, radio, recorder and CPE equipment. Since the start of her career, she has installed and built 3 CAD Systems, 4 911 phone systems, 3 different recording systems and several different versions of radio. Even though she was hired as the 911 Director at the beginning of her career she felt incumbent to learn all aspects of call-handling and radio dispatching processes and procedures. In 2000 she attended her first APCO Basic Public Safety Telecommunicator Course and then became an instructor and a full APCO member in 2001.
Since that time Becky has been actively involved in APCO at the local and international level. As a member of the Alabama Board of Directors she served as the Second VP, First VP and then President in 2006. In 2009, she was appointed as the Alabama Executive Council Representative where she would continue to serve in the capacity until 2016 when she was elected as the Gulf Coast Region Board of Directors Representative where she would serve two terms. During her time as the Executive Council Rep and the Gulf Coast Rep she would serve on many committees as both Vice-Chair and Chair.
Becky is proud to have earned her Basic Level Emergency Manager in 2011, her Certificate of Emergency Communication Administration designation through the State of Alabama in 2006 and she completed the Center Manager Certification Program in 2017.
In 2021, Becky was awarded life member status and was humbled to be elected to the APCO International Executive Committee.
Becky is the proud mother of two grown children, Will and Jordan, but her favorite role is being a “BB” to her three greatest loves of her life, her grandchildren, Madelyn, Trevor and Ella.
Capt. Jack Varnado
Jack Varnado began his Public-Safety career in 1986 as a volunteer firefighter where he earned his EMT-Basic certification. Jack began working in Emergency Communications in 1989 as a line-level Emergency Communications Officer with East Baton Rouge Parish EMS/911 and promoted through the ranks to become Chief of Communications. He then moved into Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness before becoming the Deputy Director at St. Tammany Parish Communications District in March 2004. In May of 2013 Jack was offered, and accepted, the position of Captain at Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Communications Division, in the parish he has called home for nearly 30 years. He was responsible for 9-1-1 Operations and Emergency Communications for 7 Law Enforcement Agencies and 11 Fire Departments. Jack recently moved into the 9-1-1 Director position with Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office where he is overseeing the current transition to the FIRST true Next Generation 9-1-1 System in Louisiana along with a new cloud-based CAD System.
He has also served as an Adjunct Instructor with the APCO Institute from 2002-2020 during this time he had the honor of representing the APCO Institute in Amman, Jordan where he conducted training for the Jordanian National Police Force and then conducting training at the APCO World Congress in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Jack has also served on the Board of Directors of APCO, International representing the Gulf Coast Region.
He enjoys spending time with his wife Peggy and their children, Madelynn (26) and Jacob (24), on their family farm.
Michael R. O’Connor, ENP
Michael O’Connor serves as the Executive Director of the Western Will County Communications Center (WESCOM) in Plainfield, IL. He began his career in public safety communications in 1994 and has worked in a variety of roles at several different ECC’s and law enforcement agencies throughout his career.
A graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff & Command in 2005, Mike also holds numerous law enforcement and communications related certifications. He has also been an APCO certified agency instructor for several years in Fire Communications and PST1.
As a member of the Illinois Chapter, Mike previously served on the Chapter Board in several elected positions including Chapter President and Executive Council Representative. Mike is a life member of the Illinois Chapter, and a senior member of APCO International. At the national level, he has also been a member of numerous committees from 2008-2024.
From 2019 to 2024, he served on the APCO Board of Directors as a representative for the North Central Region.
