Vantagepoint Memorial Scholarships Awarded to 24 Survivors of Public Sector Employees

From left to right: Hal Bruno (Chairman, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation); Scholarship recipients Megan and Kristen Conlon, Courtney Blakemore, Kate Crow, April McGlothlin; Joan McCallen (President, Vantagepoint Memorial Scholarship and CEO, ICMA-RC); and Seth Statler (Treasurer, NFFF)

At a special luncheon for the occasion, the Vantagepoint Public Employee Memorial Scholarship Fund announced the recipients of the 2004/05 scholarships awarded to 24 individuals who are surviving children or spouses of public sector employees who died in the line of duty.

The Vantagepoint Public Employee Memorial Scholarship Program, which has grown every year since it was founded by ICMA-RC, is dedicated to the principle that survivors of public sector employees, who give so much to their communities, and who pay the ultimate price for their service, should have greater security through scholarships for education. The awards were announced July 13 at a Washington, DC luncheon by Joan McCallen, president of the Vantagepoint Memorial Scholarship Fund and CEO and president of ICMA-RC.

“Since ICMA-RC provides retirement planning and services solely to the public sector,” McCallen said, “this scholarship program is an obvious way for us to join with our financial services partners, individual donors and other public sector focused organizations and emphasize our commitment to this community.”

At the luncheon, for the first time, former award winners had the opportunity to meet each other and be honored together. Officials from the public sector, scholarship partners, scholarship donors and ICMA-RC executives also attended.

Scholarship applicants are identified through a variety of sources including participating employers of the ICMA-RC, the National Firefighters Foundation and Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. Next year the National Forum for Black Public Administrators will also submit applications. The Vantagepoint Public Employee Memorial Scholarship Fund is a Section 501(c)(3) public charity founded by the ICMA-RC in 2001. Since its inception, the Fund has provided 60 students with scholarships worth over $250,000. Financial support for the scholarships is provided by ICMA-RC and its financial services partners.

Applications for the 2005/06 Scholarships are now being accepted. Information can be found at www.vantagescholar.org.