Chief Gene Saunders, Founder & CEO of Project Lifesaver International, was just recently selected as Top Male Visionary of the Year for 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for his outstanding leadership, dedication and commitment to the industry.
Inclusion with the International Association of Top Professionals is an honor in itself, only one man and one woman are selected as Visionary of the Year. These special honorees are distinguished based on their professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership abilities, longevity in the field, other affiliations, contributions to their communities and have consistently added visionary leadership to their industries. All honorees are invited to attend IAOTP’s Annual Awards Gala at the end of this year for a night to honor their achievements.
Over the past four decades, Chief Gene Saunders has certainly proven himself an expert in the law enforcement industry. As a dynamic result driven leader he has become a household name and he is a global hero. Chief Saunders launched Project Lifesaver International in 1999, and has overseen its expansion to nearly 1,600 public safety agencies in 50 states, six provinces in Canada, and one agency in Australia.
Project Lifesaver is a 501 (C)(3) non-profit community-based public safety organization that provides a program designed to protect and, when necessary, quickly locate individuals with cognitive disorders who are prone to the life-threatening behavior of wandering. The Project Lifesaver program has given hundreds of families peace of mind, knowing that their loved one is protected and secure if they stray. Over 4,000 lives have been saved as a result of Project Lifesaver.
Chief Saunders’ excellent background includes 33 years of service with the Chesapeake Police Department in Patrol, Vice, Narcotics, Detectives, and Training. He served in each of these units’ line function and command components. Chief Saunders co-founded the Special Weapons and Tactics team in 1974 and served as tactical commander and commander for over 800 missions over the next 23 years. He was also the Chief Investigator on many multi-state, international narcotics and organized crime conspiracy investigations. Shift Commander, Olympic Security Team, Soccer venue, Atlanta, Georgia, 1996. He retired as a Captain in 2001 after serving in the National Guard and State Defense Force in Infantry, Airborne, and Ranger Units in leadership and command capacities.
Chief Saunders also served in the United States Air Force Auxiliary (Civil Air Patrol) as a Senior Squadron (Ranger) commander and for 5 years as Commandant of the Middle East Region Staff College. He also teaches Pursuit Driving, Firearms, Special Operations, Raid Planning, General Law Enforcement, and Search and Rescue. Chief Saunders has also served as a volunteer Helicopter Flight Officer with the Virginia Beach Police Department and has spent many years skydiving. Search and Rescue, Training, Interrogation, Public Speaking, Firearms, Driving, Special Operations, Investigations, Non-Profits, Crime Prevention, Preparedness, Command, Electronic Search and Rescue, Intelligence, Program Management, Expert Witness, Community Policing, Team Building, Supervisory Skills, First Responder, SWAT, Leadership, Crisis Management, Surveillance, Emergency Services, Private Investigation
Throughout his illustrious career, Chief Saunders has received awards, accolades and has been recognized internationally for his expertise. He is widely known as the Father of radio tracking recovery of persons at risk. This year aside from the Top Male Visionary of the Year Award, Chief will also be featured in IAOTP’s first edition of Top 25 Global Impact Leaders Publication that is due out 1st quarter of 2024. In 2023, he received the prestigious Man of the Year award by IAOTP. In 2022, Chief was featured on the famous Nasdaq billboard in Times Square NYC, and was featured on the famous Planet Hollywood billboard on the Las Vegas strip. In 2021 he was graced the front cover of TIP (Top Industry Professionals) Magazine and Chief Saunders received his Top CEO of the Year Award at IAOTP’s 2021 Annual Awards Gala. He has earned 3 Commendation Medals and the Chief’s Leadership Award given by the Chesapeake Police Department, 3 Line of Duty Injury Medals and 3 Silver Stars for Valor for three separate incidents given by the American Police Hall of Fame. He also received a Presidential Commendation for his SWAT service given by President Bill Clinton, earned the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation’s “Service Before Self” Citizens Honor Award and was awarded as Treasure Coast Non-Profit Leader of the Year for 2019.
Along with these merits also include the Local Hero Award given by the Bank of America, he was named as a Person of Distinction by the Al Cole Radio Show, he received the Moving America Forward Award given by the William Shatner TV Show and was granted the Hero Award from Pilot International-Virginia District. Chief Saunders is actively involved in 11 different prestigious organizations as his career continues to advance.
Aside from his successful career, Chief Saunders is a sought-after lecturer and the author of various essays about wandering for periodicals. He has been on a variety of local, national, and international radio and television shows, including CBS’s The Early Show, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Living the Life, Fox News, The Discovery Channel, CNN News, The Daily Buzz, and William Shatner’s “Moving America Forward.” Chief Saunders has also appeared in the TV shows The Prosecutors, The FBI Files, The New Detectives, and The Untold Stories of the Navy SEALS in both main and supporting roles.
Chief Saunders credits his accomplishment to effort, education, ingenuity, and patience. He likes spending time with his family and traveling when he is not working. Chief Saunders will continue his objective of “Bringing Loved Ones Home” in the future.
For more information on Chief Saunders please visit: www.projectlifesaver.org
To view his videos click here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUiu3VJTefQ&t=1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfGzuEG6UbI&t=2s
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