Grace Tressler VEMA Symposium ScholarshipAwarded by VIRGINIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION Grace Tressler Biography Grace Tressler served as the Emergency Services Coordinator for King and Queen County, Virginia since October 2008. Grace was a nationally registered paramedic and served as a volunteer in the Upper King County Rescue Squad. Grace was very active in her emergency management role both at the local and state level. She served as a member of the Virginia Emergency Management Association (VEMA) Board of Directors for Region 1 and the Virginia Department of Fire Programs Liaison for VEMA. In her role as the emergency services coordinator, she was responsible for managing the fire services and EMS as well as the dive team and emergency communications. One of her significant contributions to King and Queen County was her efforts in working to have the first P25 compliant radio communications system installed in the region. Grace was certified as an Associate Emergency Manager with VEMA and was working on her Professional Emergency Manager credential prior to her passing. Grace was well respected by her peers in the emergency services community. She had a true passion for the residents she served and provided exceptional leadership, program oversight and embodied a sense of caring when working with others. Award The Grace Tressler VEMA Symposium Award is to recognize the emergency manager/coordinator in the smaller locality in the Commonwealth of Virginia for his/her significant contributions to the field of emergency management, his/her commitment to community and overall professionalism. The award recipient will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the VEMA Symposium as well as a one year membership in the Virginia Emergency Management Association. Instructions Please review the selection criteria and application requirements carefully. Applications can only be submitted by Regional Coordinators and will be reviewed by the VEMA Scholarship Committee after January 31, 2025. The award will be announced prior to VEMA Annual Symposium. |