JEFF SCHEMMER, CMCPExecutive directorJeff is a forty-six-year resident of Indiana and began working in the 911 community thirty-five years ago as a dispatcher with the Bloomington Police Department (BPD). After the 1998 consolidation of dispatch services with BPD and Monroe County Sheriff's Office, he continued to serve as a dispatcher. From 2003 to 2006, he served as the center's training coordinator. In 2006, Jeff was promoted to Communications Manager for the center and served in that position until 2019, when he accepted the position of Executive Director at Hamilton County Public Safety Communications.
During his time working in the 911 field, Jeff also worked as an emergency medical technician with Bloomington Hospital Ambulance Service for six years. He participated in various local and state committees regarding public safety, including the Local Emergency Planning Committee and Emergency Management Advisory Council. In addition, from 2014 to 2015, he served as President of the Indiana State National Emergency Number Association chapter. In 2018 he was appointed to the Indiana Statewide 911 Board by the Governor and has chaired the Training Standards Committee and the Budget Committee for the board. During his free time, Jeff enjoys anything photography-related. In addition, he has exhibited his work in numerous galleries, including Indiana University's Grunwald Gallery of Art. |
Laurel Simmermeyerdeputy directorLaurel Simmermeyer began her service on the Wireless 911 Advisory Board as the Project Manager in March of 2012 before she was promoted to Deputy Director of the Statewide 911 Board. Prior to joining the Board, she was with the Decatur County Sheriff’s Department for nearly 20 years, first as a telecommunicator and then quickly moving into the roll of 911 Coordinator for the county for the remainder of her tenure. Laurel’s Associate Degree in Accounting serves her well as she handles the responsibility of collecting 911 fees from telephone providers and distributing funding to the counties, amongst her other financial and executive duties.
Laurel and her husband, Tom, have two children and reside in Decatur County. |
teresa russellProgram manager/EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
An Indianapolis native, Teresa Russell received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern Indiana majoring in Public Relations/Advertising and minoring in Business Administration and Interpersonal Communications. Upon graduation, she began working in the nonprofit sector and served for nearly 17 years at Clarity of South Central Indiana in various roles including Event Coordinator, Education Coordinator, Director of Operations, Director of Marketing and Development Director.
Teresa joined the Statewide 911 Board in May of 2018 and serves as the Executive Assistant and Program Manager. She and her husband, Chad, have two children and reside in Hope, Indiana. |
what does the state 911 office do?
The Statewide 911 Board office:
- Administers the collection and distribution of 911 funding assistance from the state to local level.
- Oversees the operation of the statewide 911 network, which routes and delivers wireless 911 voice and text messages from the public to the local 911 authority.
- Provides information about improvements in 911 service to the local 911 authorities.
- Ensures that essential services are available on a statewide basis for things like 911 call transfer, language translation and that originating service providers (phone companies) have direct access to the statewide network.
- Ensures that new technology is available and widely deployed to meet the public's expectation and to meet the individual needs for all residents and visitors to Indiana.