— LISTEE'S SPOTLIGHT —

Gene Saunders is the founder and chief executive officer of Project Lifesaver International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping first responders quickly locate and help at-risk community members prone to elopement. He began his public service career in 1963 when he joined the United States Army, serving as a paratrooper before his unit was redesignated to a military police unit in 1965. Mr. Saunders enjoyed law enforcement work, and in 1968 he was accepted to the Chesapeake Police Department, inaugurating a 33-year career with the department, including 23 years as SWAT team command. He retired in 2001 at the rank of captain to focus on his work in the community and with Project Lifesaver International.

Established in 1999, Project Lifesaver International built on Mr. Saunders’ experience providing police search and rescue services for missing Alzheimer’s patients. Recognizing the frequency of similar missing persons cases and the potential to use emerging technologies to locate at-risk individuals, Mr. Saunders launched the company. He considers Project Lifesaver International to be the highlight of his career and is dedicated to expanding coverage and making the service free to all in the coming years.