911 calltakers and emergency dispatchers honored for role in keeping communities safe

Apr 22, 2026
| Posted in
Safety & Security
A group of award recipients at the 2026 Telecommunicators Appreciation Celebration

MARC's Regional Public Safety Communications Program hosts the annual Telecommunicators Appreciation Celebration and Outstanding Performance awards to honor the important role telecommunicators and 911 calltakers play in keeping our communities safe.

On Friday, April 10, 2026, the MARC recognized 911 emergency dispatchers and calltakers across the Kansas City region for the crucial role they play in public safety. The 27th Annual Telecommunicators Appreciation Celebration (TAC) and Outstanding Performance Awards honors telecommunicators who consistently perform above and beyond the call of duty, demonstrate exemplary individual and team performance in a critical incident and have made a significant contribution to the field of public safety.

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Honorees

2026 honorees include the following:

Outstanding Support Services Excellence
Carter Wetherington, Johnson County, Kansas, Sheriff’s Office

Everyday Hero
John Hilton, Gladstone, Missouri, Police Department

Outstanding Training Performance
Brianna Stanley, Shawnee, Kansas, Police Department

Outstanding Public Service Answering Point Leader
Lt. David Ross, Johnson County, Kansas, Sheriff’s Office

Outstanding Individual Performance in a Critical Incident  
Cari Terpening, Riverside, Missouri, Police Department (two to five positions)
Jennae Eastin, Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department (six or more positions)

Outstanding Team Performance in a Critical Incident 
Angie Cooper, Robert Stotts and Sydney Horne
Shawnee, Kansas, Police Department (two to five positions)

KarLeigh Pottberg, Morgan Livengood, Kristina Pearson and Cierrah Parsons
Independence, Missouri, Police Department (six or more positions)

Outstanding Multi-Agency Performance 
Johnson County, Kansas, Sheriff’s Office
Johnson County, Kansas, Emergency Communications Center

Lifetime Achievement Award 
Tim Kobe, Prairie Village, Kansas, Police Department
Jamie Taylor, Lee’s Summit, Missouri Police Department (posthumously)

About

Serving 11 counties, MARC is the coordinating agency for the Kansas City Regional 911 System. The regional system, which handles more than 1.6 million emergency calls each year, includes Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte and Ray counties in Missouri, and Atchison, Johnson, Leavenworth, Linn, Miami and Wyandotte counties in Kansas. Committees and task forces comprised of local government representatives coordinate the 911 system, which is served by 40 public safety answering points.

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