The Yvorra Leadership Development Foundation (YLD) is pleased to highlight one of our recent scholarship recipients. Kendra Loney was awarded the Chief James G. Yvorra Award for Fire and Emergency Services Responders. Kendra serves as the Public Information Officer for the Nashville, TN, Fire Department. She is a graduate of the FEMA National Disaster and Emergency Management University’s Master Public Information Officer Program and also serves as a Regional Director for the National Information Officers Association.
“Kendra Loney certainly demonstrates leadership with her goal of completing a higher level of education that will ultimately allow her to develop and extend the longevity of her BLAZE Mentoring Program,” said Michael Hildebrand, President of the YLD Foundation.
By receiving the Yvorra Leadership Development Foundation Scholarship, Kendra aims to achieve two key goals:
- Advance her expertise in nonprofit management, grant writing, and community outreach to ensure the long-term sustainability of the BLAZE Mentoring Program, which currently relies on donations and grants. This training will enhance her ability to secure consistent funding and partnerships, allowing BLAZE to continue growing and serving the community.
- Use this scholarship as a foundation to propose the creation of a fully staffed Community Services Office within the Nashville Fire Department.
The BLAZE Mentoring Program is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliated with the Nashville Fire Department. Kendra created this program to expand her department’s community engagement beyond emergency response, focusing on building strong relationships with young people in the Nashville community. Initially, BLAZE focused on mentoring students through one-on-one sessions and community service projects, helping them build valuable life skills and a sense of civic responsibility. Over time, the program has grown to include a scholarship initiative, which has awarded $22,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors thus far.
The Nashville Fire Department is an all-hazards, career department serving Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee. The department operates 40 fire stations, including specialty crews who respond to waterway emergencies and hazardous materials incidents. The department provides both fire and EMS services, making it one of the busiest in the country due to the high volume of emergency calls.
Beyond emergency response, the department places great value on community engagement. It is important for residents to see firefighters and paramedics outside of emergencies, actively involved, and invested in their well-being.
YLD annually recognizes emerging and developing leaders in fire, EMS, hazmat, emergency management, and homeland security through its scholarship program. In 2024, YLD awarded seven individual scholarships and two department grants, totaling $44,000.
The application period runs from August 1 to October 30.
For additional information about YLD and our scholarship program, visit YLD.org.
