Cleveland businesswoman Brenda Lawson has been re-elected to serve as president of Cleveland 100, and Joe Wilson, executive director of the Bradley County 911 Communications Center, has been named vice president.

Elections took place Monday during the organization’s annual board of directors meeting.

Wilson succeeds the late Betty McGrady-Ballard whose husband, the late Courtney McGrady, was a founder of Cleveland 100. Re-elected as secretary and treasurer is Joe Marie Earel, who has served since the inception of the group in 1996. Angie Underwood was unanimously voted to succeed her mother, McGrady-Ballard, on the board.

In accepting the board role, Underwood said she and her husband, George, along with children Ashley, Austin, Anderson, Alison and Anna, have been attending the awards events for several years, at her mother’s request.

“Mom and Courtney always had our family sit together at the McGrady Development Corporate Table, and I know how important it was to them for our family to support this cause,” Underwood said. “I know Mom and Courtney would have wanted me to represent them and carry on their legacy of lending support to our emergency services personnel. I know of no better way to honor my Mom’s memory than to serve with Cleveland 100.”

Co-founded by Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland and the late Courtney McGrady, Cleveland 100 is designed to assist families of emergency services personnel who lose their lives in the line of duty.

During Monday’s meeting, Lawson updated the board on the activities surrounding the tragic death of Cleveland police officer Justin Maples in May. She remarked that his funeral was held on the date that would have been the annual Cleveland 100 Board Meeting and Awards Luncheon. She also provided an update on the assistance being offered the family and their request to consider college scholarships for the officer’s three sons. Lawson said she would meet with family members in the future to determine where and when to establish the three scholarships.

Lawson also told the board, “I was never prouder of my hometown and our Cleveland 100 organization than I was this past month during the tragic loss of an officer. This is something we hope never happens, but when it does, it’s good to know we have the ability to help the family in any way possible.”

Rowland advised the group that in coming weeks, Officer Maples’ name will be etched in the Emergency Services Wall at Five Points as a lasting reminder of his sacrifice and this community’s tribute to him and his family. Rowland said he and Cleveland Chief of Police Wes Snyder will develop dates and details. Announcements will be made soon.

The Cleveland 100 board also voted to pay for the expenses of a seven-member honor group who traveled to Cleveland with caisson and horses to take part in Maples’ funeral. Cleveland 100 paid the lodging bill and the board thanked Dale Hughes of Mountain View Inn for providing the meals during their stay.

The board agreed to plan a May 2013 Awards Luncheon, at which time emergency services personnel who have gone “above and beyond” the call of duty in the past two years will be honored.

Lawson reminded members of the importance of Cleveland 100 membership and said she had numerous people inquire about how to join or to serve as a volunteer. In coming months, the organization will launch a new awareness effort. She also directed staff to contact each emergency services department head and assure that all personnel have Cleveland 100 Beneficiary Forms updated and that any new hires are signed into the registry.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Cleveland 100 board has been set for September.