Alexandria, Va. – The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International is pleased to announce the appointment of Marie Athearn as the next Executive Director of Cass County Emergency Services Board (CCESB) located in Harrisonville, Missouri.

Ms. Athearn spent 20 years with Kansas Emergency Management and Communications in Johnson County, Kansas, most recently as the Deputy Director, Operations and Communications Services, where she was responsible for a team of 49 emergency communications professionals. Along with her extensive experience as a public safety professional, Ms. Athearn brings to her new role knowledge and experience working with the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), a nonprofit association of city and county governments and the metropolitan planning organization for the bi-state Kansas City region. Both experiences will be critical as she works to advance the mission of the CCESB.

“I am excited to build relationships with Cass County emergency service agencies and to be an advocate for public safety communications locally, regionally, and statewide,” said Ms. Athearn in a press release announcing her new appointment.

Ms. Athearn is a former second Vice President for the Kansas Chapter of APCO and is an APCO Registered Public-Safety Leader (RPL) as well as a former instructor for the RPL Program.

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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 – by providing complete expertise, professional development, technical assistance, advocacy and outreach.