For the first time in its 44-year history, the National Emergency Number Association has a Kansan at the helm.
Lyon County Emergency Communications Center Director Roxanne Van Gundy is the individual who gets to hold that distinction after she was officially installed as the NENA National President last week in Columbus, Ohio. Van Gundy says she is extremely honored to be holding the position, saying she hopes her time as President will serve as a source of inspiration for other emergency communicators within small communities, saying size and population should never be a deterrent from trying to improve the profession.
Speaking of which, Van Gundy says her desire to “leave the profession better than how I found it” was a major motivator for joining the NENA board two years ago.
While acknowledging the honor and expressing her excitement for her new role, Van Gundy noted that it does not change much for her in terms of the work to be done.
As for her major focuses moving forward, Van Gundy says her well-known passion for improving mental health within the profession will remain at the top of her agenda. To accomplish this, Van Gundy says there will need to be a great emphasis on uniting what she calls the “two camps” of the profession.
Additionally, Van Gundy says increased educational opportunities for all 911 professionals regardless of their location or size of their operations will be a critical objective for the board over the next year. Van Gundy, a 20-year 911 professional, has been involved with NENA in multiple capacities over the course of her career, including as the former President of NENA Kansas, Co-Chair of the national NENA Wellness Committee and a contributor to the Development Steering Committee.
