October 22, 2003

Lansing, - The Michigan State Police, Emergency Management Division announced that Grace E. Ranger, Emergency Management Director for Genesee County was named the 2003 Professional Emergency Manager of the Year. Each year the Emergency Management Division of the Michigan State police honors one professional emergency manager who has contributed distinguished service to the profession.

Ms Ranger became an emergency director in Genesee County in 1997. She has worked as an emergency management coordinator in nine disasters, including the August 14^th, Power Outage. Because of her leadership and success within her program, she was awarded by the Michigan Emergency Management Association as "Mitigation of Year in 1998, Response of the Year" in 2000 and also the "Local Coordinator of the Year" in 2002 ".

"Ms. Ranger places a high regard in developing relationships with her community and with other statewide emergency management programs," stated Captain John Ort, Commander of the Emergency Management Division. Currently she holds two governor appointments, as member of the Michigan Citizen Corps Council and the Michigan Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Commission. She serves on many committees in the county including chairing the Hazardous Materials Response Team, vice chair of Weapons of Mass Destruction Advisory Committee, works as a member of the Medical Control Board Disaster Committee, Fire Chief’s Association, Flint School District’s Disaster Committee, Genesee ISD Interagency Collaborative and Partnership Committees, and the Lapeer/Genesee Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Team along with many others.