Jackson County commissioners on June 23 nominated and unanimously approved three appointments to the county’s E‑911 board, reappointing Patrick Allen, Steven (Steve) Smith and Marty (Marty) Gray to fill open or expired terms.

Why it matters: The E‑911 board oversees emergency dispatch and technology that connect residents and first responders; board continuity and experienced members influence system upgrades, training and operations.

Chairman Nance read applicants’ qualifications from the packet before the commission voted. The candidates approved are:
- Patrick Allen, reappointment; longtime volunteer firefighter and former fire chief with experience in emergency services and 9‑1‑1 system needs.
- Steven Smith, appointment; automotive technician with a long history of community volunteer work and civic involvement as presented in the packet.
- Marty Gray, reappointment; current E‑911 board chair who has served since 2017 and led upgrades to computer-aided dispatch, phone and radio systems and mapping, and helped add text-to-911 and video-to-911 capabilities.

Each nomination received a second and was approved by roll-call vote with all commissioners voting yes. Commissioners thanked all applicants and encouraged additional qualified residents to apply for future openings.

Operations context: Staff noted the E‑911 board has worked on routine technology refreshes on a roughly four- to five-year rotation and has recently coordinated system upgrades, mapping changes and security enhancements. Reappointing members who have experience with those projects was presented as supportive of continuity in the county’s public-safety communications work.

Provenance: The E‑911 appointment discussion and roll-call votes appear in the public-record packet and in the meeting transcript where applicant biographies and board service were read aloud and each nomination was approved by unanimous vote.