APCO recognizes CPE graduates, CALEA and NCMEC accreditation, and Sunshine Fund; keynote speaker focuses on achieving goals
By Rick Goldstein
The APCO 2025 Distinguished Achievers Breakfast on Tuesday in the Baltimore Convention Center celebrated professional excellence. Following recognition of Certified Public-Safety Executive (CPE) graduates and earners of agency accreditation, a keynote speaker described how APCO members could achieve excellence beyond what they ever thought possible.
APCO CEO & Executive Director Mel Maier set the tone at the start. “You’re in this industry because you’re called to serve, and you’re at this conference because you’re investing in your own growth and development, and you’re investing in professional excellence,” Maier said.
Maier recognized breakfast sponsor L3Harris. He also thanked corporate partners AT&T, Motorola Solutions, Geocomm, Carbyne, Eventide, Indigital, NGA, CentralSquare, JVCKENWOOD and OnStar.
CPE faculty recognized graduates of the leadership and management program for public safety communications professionals. Faculty members Dr. Steve Edwards, Dr. Bob Miller and Chief Marcia Harnden congratulated new graduates. Registration for the next CPE session is now open.
Maier and APCO President Stephen P. Martini issued an appeal for donations to the Sunshine Fund, which supports APCO members facing financial hardship. In a video, Craig Scholl, retired from Clinton County (New York) Dispatch described the help he received for an unexpected surgery six hours from home. ”It’s very expensive, especially when you’re talking about New York City for a hotel room for 14 days,” he said. Scholl said the Sunshine Fund made it possible for his family to afford the expense.
“As a donor myself, I find it great that the money goes to people like Craig,” Martini said.
Martini also recognized over 850 members serving on APCO’s more than 48 committees, subcommittees and task forces.
“Their contributions are tremendous, and they enhance public safety communications around the country,” Martini said. “If you aren’t already serving in one or more of these groups, please consider getting involved.”
Maya Mitchell, communications organizational development manager of the Commission for Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), said accreditation or reaccreditation has been granted to 61 agencies from the U.S. and Mexico.
Brenda Brown, special project coordinator of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), followed to recognize 10 new and renewed member agencies compliant with the Missing Kids Readiness Program (MKRP) standards. The agencies implemented training and policies to better respond to incidents involving missing or exploited children.
Jason LaForge, L3Harris sales director, then introduced the breakfast keynote speaker, triathlon world champion and performance coach Siri Lindley.
“APCO, Wow!” Lindley exclaimed as she bounded onto the stage.
Lindley told stories of her own life composed of tribulations and triumph. She explained the mindset she has developed to achieve goals that might seem unlikely, if not impossible, when contemplated at the beginning of the journey.
Her first goal was deciding, after a career as a successful college athlete, to give the triathlon a try. “At 23, I set an impossible goal for myself,” Lindley said, “to be the best in the world at swimming, biking and running. The only problem is I was 23 years old, and didn’t know how to swim.”
In her first competition she finished dead last. Even so, within a few years, she had become world champion twice. Along the way, Lindley explained how she changed her views about achievement. She focused on individual progress and told herself a story about how she would reach her goal instead of a story of how the obstacles were too difficult to overcome.
This world view became literally one of life or death when doctors gave her a 10% chance of surviving a diagnosis of leukemia. Lindley said she got through by stressing her gratitude for the people on her side — her mother, wife, sister, doctors and nurses. And by narrating in her mind the story of recovery instead of the story of her demise.
“Focus on things that feel good not bad; that give us power. Every day, thousands of times a day I would change from what scared me and didn’t want to happen to what I wanted.”
One thing she wanted was to run up her favorite mountain path and smell the wildflowers. This story came true one year after spending a 35-day stint in the hospital with her grave illness.
At the end of her talk, Lindley revealed to the APCO assembly that her family recently needed 9-1-1 when tragedy struck. Three months ago, she said, her mother found her sister who had died by suicide.
She thanked telecommunicators for compassion, empathy and exuding calm when they needed it.
“You are extraordinary gifts in this world. What would be possible for you if you truly knew what I see, and what I know, and that is the value of you and your work?” Lindley said. “Show up in the world … be intentional and be grateful for this opportunity to be heroes in every life you touch.”
