FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International announced the winners of the 2016 Public Safety Communications Awards and Technology in Leadership Awards on Friday, May 20. Springfield-Greene County 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Director Zim Schwartze was named APCO International Director of the Year. Schwartze will be recognized during the opening general session at the 2016 APCO Annual Conference & Expo taking place Aug. 14-17 in Orlando, Florida. Schwartze joined Springfield-Greene County 9-1-1 Emergency Communications in 2013, after retiring as a captain from the Columbia Police Department. While in Columbia, she also served as the director of the Boone County Joint Communications 9-1-1 and Office of Emergency Management for several years. “As a city, we are very fortunate to have Zim’s wealth of experience in law enforcement, emergency management and emergency communications in Springfield,” said City Manager Greg Burris. Schwartze has a master's degree in public administration and a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering, both from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is a graduate of the 204th School of Police Staff and Command (SPSC) through Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and the FBI National Academy, Session 231, in Quantico, Virginia. She is an adjunct instructor at the Law Enforcement Training Institute located in Columbia as well as in the Northwestern University SPSC classes. Schwartze is a member of the three state 9-1-1 organizations and currently serves as the treasurer of the Missouri 9-1-1 Directors Association. In addition, Schwartze is a past president of the Kansas-Western Missouri Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates and a member of the University of Missouri Harry S Truman School of Public Affairs Advisory Board. Schwartze has volunteered her time with Special Olympics-Missouri for nearly 25 years. She serves on the Law Enforcement Torch Run Committee and is the chair of the State Summer Games held in Springfield each year. Schwartze and her husband, Jay, have two children and numerous family pets. “Thank you to all of our award winners for your service above and beyond the call of duty,” said Brent Lee, president of APCO International. “And thank you to the nominators for participating in this program and recognizing those who make an impact in our communities." 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. ### For more information please contact Director Zim Schwartze at 417-829-6209 or zschwartze@springfieldmo.gov.