Commonwealth Public Safety Memorial History of the Memorial Virginia is one of only six states in the nation lacking a monument to public safety heroes who have given their lives in the line of duty. The creation of a state-level memorial honoring public safety officers killed in the line of duty has long been a top priority for Virginia's various safety organizations, 165,000+ officers, and their families. Due to various reasons, including recessions and budget cuts, for many years the project wasn't advanced. In 2007, determined to finally further this cause, Governor Tim Kaine established a commission to select a memorial design and location, the first major step toward completion of a memorial. To the commission he appointed the Secretary of Public Safety and more than a dozen representatives of public safety agencies and the community. He also included three surviving dependants of officers lost in the line of duty, who each provided valuable insight for the other commission members in selecting a design and location appropriate for this purpose. The Commonwealth Public Safety Memorial Commission quickly selected Darden Memorial Garden near Virginia's Capitol Square as the site for the future monument, and, over the course of nearly two years, administered a nationwide open-call process for the submission of designs. Having selected a memorial design and location, in late December 2009 Governor Kaine chose Virginia Public Safety Foundation (VPSF) to serve as the non-profit memorial administrator, charged with raising funding and supervising construction, until the monument is finished. VPSF has long been a partner of the Commonwealth's when matters affecting Virginia's public safety community are concerned: VPSF has served as the administrator for the Commonwealth Public Safety Medal of Valor for nearly ten years. A ceremony planned for late December 2009 to unveil the memorial design and location was cancelled due to inclement weather. On September 11, 2010, Governor Bob McDonnell added his voice of support to the memorial campaign by signing Executive Order 24 ratifying the selection of Darden Garden as the memorial site and extending the term of leadership for the Commonwealth Public Safety Memorial Commission. Follow memorial construction progress on-line by clicking here. The Memorial Design The Commonwealth Public Safety Memorial design has been approved by the Commonwealth Public Safety Memorial Commission, the Art and Architecture Review Board, Governor Tim Kaine and Governor Bob McDonnell. The memorial will be built at Darden Memorial Garden, formerly Capitol Street, which runs the length of three blocks between the General Assembly Building, Old City Hall, and the Patrick Henry Building on the north, and the gates to Virginia's Capitol Square on the south. The site of the memorial is currently a raised bed of grass outside the General Assembly Building. How You Can Help Build It The Commonwealth Public Safety Memorial will be constructed with private funding. Only with your support can we make it a reality. Here are 8 ways you can help build Virginia's monument to heroes: 1. Make a contribution on-line today. Click here to process your donation using a     credit card 2. Mail your contribution check to VPSF at PO Box 1355, Richmond, Virginia 23218. 3. Designate VPSF as the beneficiary of your annual United Way employee giving     contributions. To do so, simply list "Virginia Public Safety Foundation" and our PO     Box address on your giving form. 4. Make a bequest in your will to benefit the Memorial Fund. Call VPSF for more     information. 5. Join VPSF's Facebook.com page at http://www.facebook.com/MyVPSF. 6. Donate ad space in your newspaper, magazine, or event program. 7. Ask your employer to match your dollar contribution. 8. Designate proceeds from your established event, or one you organize, to      benefit the Memorial Fund. Memorial Campaign Leadership Commonwealth Public Safety Memorial Construction Advisory Committee The Memorial Construction Advisory Committee serves to lead VPSF through the contracting and construction challenges associated with a project of this magnitude, liaison with the Art and Architecture Review Board and Capitol Square Preservation Council, and advise the Board of Directors and Memorial Fundraising Committee on needed resources. Its members have been appointed by VPSF President Hadden Culp. Curry Roberts, President & CEO, State Fair of Virginia Janet Clements, VPSF Vice President, Janet L. Clements Consulting Cassi L. Fields, Ph.D., President and CEO, Fields Consulting Group, Inc. Selby Jacobs, Chief, Prince William Department of Fire and Rescue (Retired) Bert Jones, Director, Division of Engineering and Buildings, Department of General Services J. Mathews Pope, Chairman, Pope Company Erin Rice, Policy Analyst, Department of Fire Programs Commonwealth Public Safety Memorial Fundraising Committee The Memorial Fundraising Committee provides leadership to the campaign to fund construction of the memorial. Its members have been appointed by VPSF President Hadden Culp. Jerry Kilgore, Senior Advisor, McGuire Woods Colonel Gerald Massengill, Superintendant, Virginia State Police (Retired) Terry McAuliffe, Chairman, Green Tech Automotive Jeffery Mitchell, Partner, LeClair Ryan Julien G. Patterson, Chairman, OMNIPLEX World Services Corp. Commonwealth Public Safety Memorial Commission The Commonwealth Public Safety Memorial Commission, appointed by Governor Kaine in 2007 and 2009, and reappointed by Governor McDonnell in 2010, selected the memorial design and location and is now charged with finalizing the roster of names to be engraved on the memorial. The commission reviews any recommendations of the VPSF Board of Directors regarding changes to the memorial design or construction plan. Honorable Marla Decker, Secretary of Public Safety, Commission Chair Tyler Armel, Investigator, Culpeper County Sheriff's Office Darrell C. Bowling, Master Trooper (Ret.), Virginia State Police Donald M. Brennan, Past-President, Tuckahoe Volunteer Rescue Squad The Honorable Bill Carrico, Virginia House of Delegates James Dawson, Fire Marshal, Chesterfield County Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Superintendent, Virginia State Police Kenny Ford, Sergeant, Radford Police Department Dayton Haugh, Chief, Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad David Hewes, Lieutenant (Ret.), Virginia Beach Police Department The Honorable Lisa Hicks-Thomas, Secretary of Administration David Hoback, Chief, City of Roanoke Fire & EMS Kenneth L. Jones, Emergency Management Coordinator, Newport News Fire         Department The Honorable Jerry W. Kilgore, Senior Advisor, McGuire Woods Consulting LLC Jack King, Chief Deputy State Coordinator, Virginia Department of Emergency         Management Major General Daniel E. Long, Jr., Adjutant General of Virginia Bruce P. Marquis, Chief of Police, Norfolk Police Department The Honorable John W. Marshall, Former Secretary of Public Safety Michael E. Meegan, CPA, Senior Business Director, Watkins Meegan, LLC Chris McIntosh, Commonwealth Interoperability Coordinator The Honorable Paula Miller, Virginia House of Delegates R. Michael Mohler, President, Virginia Professional Firefighters The Honorable Bobby Orrock, Virginia House of Delegates Julien Patterson, Chairman, OMNIPLEX World Services Corporation The Honorable Dennis S. Proffitt, Sheriff, Chesterfield County Curry A. Roberts, President, Virginia State Fair The Honorable Susan Clarke Schaar, Clerk of the Senate N.H. "Cookie" Scott, Deputy Director, Department of Corrections Willie G. Shelton, Jr., Executive Director, Virginia Department of Fire Programs The Honorable Beverly Sherwood, Virginia House of Delegates Richard F. Sliwoski, PE, Director, Department of General Services The Honorable Ken Stolle, Sheriff, Virginia Beach The Honorable Walter A. Stosch, Senate of Virginia The Honorable Tommy Whitt, Sheriff, Montgomery County Michael Wilson, Senior Analyst, Dominion Resources Robert C. Wilson, Sales Manager, Special Products Transfer Important Documents & Tools Executive Order 89 Executive Order 24 VPSF Press Releases