Meet Our Trustees

Michael Burns J.D.
Michael Burns J.D.Chairman
Mr. Burns is a litigation attorney admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Kentucky. Mr. Burns formerly served as an instructor at Jefferson Technical College in the Criminal Justice Degree Program. He has been involved in public service since 1985 – first as a firefighter and auxiliary police officer in the suburbs of Philadelphia where he attained the rank of Captain. After relocating to Louisville in 1991, Mr. Burns served with the Lyndon Fire Department and earned the rank of Sergeant. Until his retirement, he served as a Reserve Deputy Corporal with the Jefferson County, Kentucky Sheriff’s Office and also served with the Oldham County, Kentucky Sheriffs’ Office. Mr. Burns has served on the boards of Broomall Fire Department in Marple Township, Pennsylvania and Lyndon Fire Protection District, Kentucky. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors of Fr. John Judie Ministries, Inc.
Missy Dunagan
Missy DunaganTreasurer
Ms. Dunagan has been a Home Mortgage Assistant for 16 years. She has seen the devastation and financial burden that losing a spouse can have on a survivor and feels strongly about supporting the families of public-safety personnel who make the supreme sacrifice in service to their communities. She has a daughter whom she is teaching to respect Public Safety officers and the importance of caring for the families of those who make the ultimate sacrifice. She was previously married to a police officer and has a brother-in-law who is a career firefighter.
Dan Durham
Dan DurhamSecretary
Mr. Durham currently serves as a Senior Program Director with Air Evac Lifeteam in Campbellsville, Kentucky. He has been a Paramedic since 1994 and served as the Director of Campbellsville-Taylor County Rescue from 2004-2008. Mr. Durham previously served as a Detective with the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office for seven years and with Campbellsville Police for four years. Dan served as pastor of the Stewart’s Creek Baptist Church in Lebanon, Kentucky for 24 years. He now also also serves as Chairman of the Kentucky EMS Memorial Foundation and as a member of the Supporting Heroes Memorial Team.
Jerome Ezell J.D.
Jerome Ezell J.D.Trustee
Major Ezell served on the Indiana State Police from 1968 until he retired March 31, 2010. He was promoted to Major in 1980 and served as the Department’s Legal Advisor in the year’s leading up to his retirement.

Major Ezell is a Master Instructor at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, and from 1991 until 2010 also served as an Administrative Law Prosecutor for Indiana Gun Permit License revocations.

He has maintained a private civil law practice since 1980 and has been an Adjunct Lecturer at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Northwest since 1984.

Major Ezell earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology at Indiana University Northwest and a Juris Doctorate from Valparaiso University School of Law.

Leta Gentry
Leta GentryTrustee
Leta (Thompson) Gentry is the surviving fiancee of Brown Township (Indiana) Fire Captain/EMT David Sherfick (Last Call: February 4, 2008). Leta lives in Mooresville, Indiana with her husband Brent, a Telecommunications Specialist at AT&T and a part-time EMT for Brown Township Fire Department. Leta is a graduate of Butler University with a degree in Radio and Television Broadcasting. She has served many years in Public Relations and Customer Service and now works as a News Reporter for WCBK Radio in Martinsville, Indiana. Leta is also a member of the Purdue Extension Board of Morgan County and is a part-time Vocalist for several R&B and Jazz performing groups in Indianapolis.
Eric W. Johnson
Eric W. JohnsonExecutive Director & Trustee
Eric retired after serving 15 years with the Louisville Division of Police/Louisville Metro Police Department on July 31, 2004, as a Police Sergeant. He previously served nine years with the City of Louisville Emergency Medical Services where he held the rank of Lieutenant.

He is a member of the founding Board of Directors of the Kentucky Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) and served as the Chapter Director from the time of its formation in 2000 through June 2005. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Kentucky EMS Memorial Foundation, the Board of Directors of the National EMS Memorial Service, as the Team Leader of the Supporting Heroes Memorial Team, and as Coordinator of the Indiana Local Assistance State Team (“L.A.S.T”) of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Eric earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Justice Administration at University of Louisville and graduate hours in Non-Profit Management from Capella University. He also holds a Certificate in Non-Profit Executive Leadership and another in Current Affairs Fundraising: Crisis Management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. He is also a member of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation.

As the principal founder, he serves as a Trustee as well as the Executive Director.

David L. Owen
David L. OwenTrustee
David is a lifelong resident of Louisville, Kentucky, and a licensed funeral director since 1976. In 1987, following the death of his father who was the founder of the business, he became president of Owen Funeral Homes.

David is dedicated to the funeral business, the Louisville community, and feels a compelling responsibility to serve. He currently serves or is a past member of the boards of: Funeral Directors Association of Kentucky (Past President); Falls Cities Funeral Directors Association (Past President); Funeral Auto Company (Past President); Valley Masonic Lodge #511; Louisville Consistory – Scottish Rite; Kosair Shrine Temple (Past Potentate); Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Louisville (Past President); Gilda’s Club of Louisville (Past President); Kosair Charities; and National Corvette Restoration Society. He is also a trustee with Shively Area Ministries and a board member of Harbor House of Louisville.

David is an accomplished vocalist and musician. He has played with the Fanatics (a regional band founded in 1974) and performed with the Wulfe Brothers for one year. He currently sings with The Monarchs (www.TheMonarchs.com).

David and his wife, Pamela, have one daughter, Rachel Barr, who is a University of Louisville graduate and a funeral director with Owen Funeral Homes.

Amy Page-Calhoun
Amy Page-CalhounTrustee
Mrs. Calhoun was widowed at the age of 24 with three small children (2, 3, and 5). She knows firsthand the trauma of losing a spouse and the father of her children. She understands the grief and emotional and financial hardships of losing a loved one. Mrs. Calhoun is now married to a Louisville Metro Police officer.
Allen Rodecap
Allen RodecapTrustee
Mr. Rodecap is the father of EMT Jeremy Rodecap of the Middletown Emergency Medical Services in Indiana. Jeremy fell in the line of duty on December 3, 2005 while responding to a motor vehicle accident.

Mr. Rodecap retired from IBM in 2010 with 42 years of service. He is currently on the board of the Adams-Markleville Fire District, Madison County, Indiana.

Robert Schroeder, Ph.D.
Robert Schroeder, Ph.D.Trustee
Chief Schroeder currently serves as the chief of the Lyndon Police Department in Louisville, Kentucky. Chief Schroeder began his law enforcement career with the Louisville Division of Police in August of 1997. He served the citizens of Louisville for 23 years, retiring as the Interim Chief of Police of the Louisville Metro Police Department in October of 2020.

Chief Schroeder holds a Doctorate in Leadership from the University of the Cumberlands. He also holds a Master of Science degree in the Administration of Justice and a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from the University of Louisville. He is a graduate of the 232nd Session of the FBI National Academy. He attended the 127th Administrative Officers Course at the Southern Police Institute, where he earned the William F. Walsh Director’s Award for Academic Excellence.

Chief Schroeder is married with two children.

Jason Smith
Jason SmithTrustee
Mr. Smith currently serves as an EMS District Manager for the EMS Branch of the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office, a division of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

He started his EMS service in 1991 and has served in many capacities since. He also served as a Telecommunications Operator and Communications Trainer/Instructor with Indiana State Police from 1997 until 2008.

In addition to his role with Indiana DHS, he is an EMS Primary Instructor and a member of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) – Region V Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT).

Pat Walsh
Pat WalshVice-Chairman
Chief Walsh is the retired chief of the McMahan Fire Protection District in Louisville, Kentucky. He joined the department as a volunteer in 1990 and served in various capacities before becoming a career firefighter and then Fire Chief in 2012. He currently serves as the Executive Vice President of the Kentucky Association of Fire Chiefs; Vice President of the Kentucky Firefighters Association; as a member of the Fire Department Steering Committee of the WHAS Crusade for Children; and as a member of the MBA Advisory Board of Bellarmine University. Chief Walsh earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Justice Administration at University of Louisville and a Master of Business Administration in Executive Management at Bellarmine University.