Winners to be honored during Opening General Session at APCO 2026
Alexandria, VA – The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Emergency Communications Center Awards and Technology Leadership Awards. The winners will be recognized during the Opening General Session at APCO 2026, APCO’s Annual Conference & Expo, taking place August 2-5 in San Antonio, Texas.
The award recipients demonstrated the highest levels of professional conduct and outstanding performance in the line of duty. The award winner of each category is:
Communications Center Director of the Year
David Odom
Tallahassee Leon County Consolidated Dispatch Agency 9-1-1 Emergency Communications
Tallahassee, FL
Telecommunicator of the Year
Matthew Palfy
Jeffcom 911
Golden, CO
Trainer of the Year
Hannah Augustine
Kitsap 911
Bremerton, WA
Line Supervisor of the Year
Abigail Rider
New Hampshire Division of Emergency Services and Communications
Concord, NH
Information Technologist of the Year
Bryce Leming
Spokane Regional Emergency Communications
Spokane Valley, WA
Radio Frequency Technologist of the Year
Zac Jones
Florence County ECC
Effingham, SC
Team of the Year
Tallahassee Leon County Consolidated Dispatch Agency 9-1-1 Emergency Communications
Tallahassee, FL
Technology in Leadership Award – Large Agency
Milwaukee Department of Emergency Communications
Milwaukee, WI
Technology in Leadership Award – Small Agency
La Crosse County 911
La Crosse, WI
“We are thrilled to honor this year’s ECC and Technology Leadership Award winners for their dedication, and for serving their communities when it was needed most. We are proud of you and all who were nominated this year,” said Jack Varnado, president of APCO International. “Congratulations to this year’s winners and thank you for the hard work you do every day.”
APCO International® (www.apcointl.org)
APCO International is the world’s oldest and largest organization of public safety communications professionals and supports the largest U.S. membership base of any public safety association. It serves the needs of public safety communications practitioners worldwide – and the welfare of the general public as a whole.
