AACOG will have its Winter 2009 Semiannual Meeting of the Area Council and Board of Directors on Wednesday, December 2, 2009, at the Marriott Plaza San Antonio, 555 South Alamo Street, Hidalgo Ballroom, San Antonio. 

Secretary of State Esperanza "Hope" Andrade will be the keynote speaker at the luncheon, which will directly follow the meeting.  Secretary Andrade is Texas’ 107^th Secretary of State and one of six state officials to form the Executive Department of the State of Texas.  She was appointed by Governor Rick Perry and sworn in on July 23, 2008. Click here to read her biography.

To find out more about the upcoming semiannual meeting, contact Melissa Pulido at (210) 362-5281.

This monthly feature in the AACOG Region Newsletter spotlights our AACOG Board Members.  This month features Wilson County Judge Marvin C. Quinney, who is Vice Chairman of the AACOG Board for 2009-2010.  Judge Quinney is also active on the following committees: Area Judges, 911 Area Judges, Management/Audit Committee, Planning & Program Committee, the Alamo Area Development Corporation, and the Alamo Area Housing Finance Corporation.

Education and Career Highlights: I entered the workforce full time at age 17.  I served as an MP K9 handler in South Vietnam then returned home and served as a DPS trooper in the Highway Patrol Service for 27 years.

What do you like best about your work as Wilson County Judge?  The position of County Judge allows me the opportunity both on the judicial side and the administration side to interact with the citizens and other public servants to make positive change in the lives of our citizens.

What do you like about [being the Vice Chairman of] the AACOG Board?  It affords more opportunity to interact with staff of AACOG and work with people not only from our region but all over the nation.

What is currently going on in Wilson County?  The Floresville Independent School District is nearing completion of an early college campus and Technical School.  All of our communities are working to improve the quality of life in each community with citizen involvement.

What is the best advice you have received in working as an elected official?  Do the best you can by everyone and don't take yourself too seriously.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?  Working at my pasture.

Kendall County 9-1-1 Coordinator Becky Meier became the County’s and AACOG’s first Emergency Number Professional (ENP) earning certification in 2005. Becky began her employment with Kendall County in April 1992.  She has worked in the departments of the Auditor’s Office, Addressing, Road & Bridge, and Engineering.  In 1994 she was asked by the County Judge, Honorable Bill Gooden, to assume the responsibility of Kendall County addressing and database management for the 9-1-1 Program.  Successfully earning certification as an Emergency Number Professional, (ENP) in 2005, she was appointed as the Kendall County 9-1-1 Coordinator.  Becky also maintains the 9-1-1 GIS mapping program for Kendall County and currently serves on the Executive Board of the Texas Chapter of the National Emergency Number Association (Tx-NENA) as Secretary.

Bandera County 9-1-1 Coordinator Carey Reed became the County’s first and AACOG’s second Emergency Number Professional earning her certification in 2009. Carey started working with Bandera County in 1994 as the Rural Addressing Technician.  In 1996, Carey was appointed 9-1-1 Coordinator.  Carey does the addressing, database maintenance, and GIS mapping for Bandera County.  Carey has served as Chair and Vice-Chair of AACOG’s 9-1-1 Advisory Committee.  Most recently she was appointed Emergency Management Coordinator in addition to her other duties.  Carey was one of the recipients of the Tx-NENA scholarship for the ENP exam in 2008.  These scholarships are open to Tx-NENA members meeting the ENP applicant requirements and wishing to obtain their Emergency Number Professional Certification.

ENP certification is the National Emergency Number Association’s benchmark of performance, signifying a broad-based competence in the professional field.  By successfully completing this certification program, Becky and Carey demonstrate a mastery of the comprehensive knowledge base required for emergency number program management, helps to raise the respect and prestige of those involved in 9-1-1, and confirms their commitment to the 9-1-1 profession by showing themselves to be leaders in public safety and pledging to stay aware of current issues and developments in the field.  Congratulations to Becky and Carey!