Heroes of CentralSquare: Chris Grant and Deanna Kahl-Lundberg

Meet Our Newest Honorees: Chris Grant and Deanna Kahl-Lundberg

Chris Grant still answers the call when a fatal crash needs investigating. Deanna Kahl-Lundberg has spent decades raising the money that keeps her town’s volunteer firefighters trained, equipped, and ready. Today, we’re proud to celebrate them both as our newest Nominate a Hero honorees.

Their spotlight arrives alongside big news. Nominate a Hero is evolving into the CentralSquare Hero Awards, created in collaboration with the ENGAGE Awards. With 10 new categories, the program now celebrates more individuals along with entire agencies, user groups, and teams doing Hero-Grade™ work in public safety and public administration.

Read on for what’s new with the Hero Awards, then meet Chris Grant, a former patrol officer who now supports first responders across the country from inside CentralSquare, and Deanna Kahl-Lundberg, Administrator for the Town of Turtleford in Saskatchewan.

What Are the CentralSquare Hero Awards?

The CentralSquare Hero Awards recognize public servants, agencies, user groups, and teams whose work strengthens their communities. The program grew out of Nominate a Hero and now runs in collaboration with the ENGAGE Awards, giving the Hero-Grade community more ways to cheer each other on.

Hero Awards Categories for Individuals

• 911 Excellence Award – for someone whose performance in first response goes above and beyond
• Community Champion Award – for someone who has made a lasting, positive impact on their community
• Mentor Award – for someone who leads, lifts up, and guides others by example
• Stand Together Award – for someone whose attitude and determination move others to make a positive impact
• Lifetime Achievement Award – for someone who has devoted their career to serving others

Hero Awards Categories for Agencies, Teams, and User Groups

• Power User Award – for getting the most out of CentralSquare tools and features
• Digital Transformation Award – for modernizing how an agency operates
• Innovation in Action Award – for creative solutions that make a positive difference in the community
• Customer Voice Award – for feedback and collaboration that shaped CentralSquare product design or user experience
• Collective Impact Award – for strong collaboration and partnership

What Hero Award Winners Receive at ENGAGE 2027

Every Hero Award recipient receives a free ticket to ENGAGE 2027, an exclusive Hero-Grade challenge coin, onsite recognition at the event, and a personalized social media kit to share the moment with their community.

Hero Awards Nomination Deadline

Nominations are open through February 19. Winners hear the news privately in March, and the celebration goes public at ENGAGE 2027 in April.

Chris Grant

Chris Grant knows CentralSquare public safety software from the front seat of a patrol car. As a police officer, he was often first on scene at serious crashes and relied on his agency’s platform to guide others through those incidents. Today he brings that same instinct to show up to multiple teams, product lines, and roles at CentralSquare, where his daily work reaches first responders across the United States.

His proudest public safety work came in impaired driving and crash investigation. Chris earned numerous awards for removing impaired drivers from the road and for teaching young drivers about the dangers of driving impaired. He still keeps in touch with some of the families he met during the hardest days of their lives.

Chris never fully hung up the badge. He serves as an active Law Enforcement Reserve officer, stays on call with his local Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) for fatal and near-fatal crashes, and now trains the team’s next generation of members. On Friday nights in the fall, you’ll hear him as the “Voice of the Generals” for middle school football. He also coaches multiple youth softball teams and serves on the board of a 5K race at the Tennessee Children’s Home.

Inside CentralSquare, colleagues celebrate a teammate who walks people through his process until they understand it and is often the first to step in when someone needs a hand.

“Chris reminds me why this work matters. His law-enforcement roots, deep empathy, and patient, transparent collaboration reflect the best of Hero-Grade,” shared the person who nominated him.

Q&A with Chris Grant

What inspires you to be Hero-Grade?

“Honestly, it’s been ingrained in me from my patrol days. Showing up, doing the hard things, making decisions that affect others, and doing so with honor and pride. I continue that today with CentralSquare because my daily work impacts numerous First Responders all over the United States. I take immense pride in ensuring that my work is reflective of what they need.”

What are you most proud of in your impact on the public sector?

“My work in Impaired Driving / Crash Investigation is probably my most impactful items in my public safety career. I won numerous awards for the Impaired Driving impacts during my Public Safety Career that highlighted both the number of impaired drivers removed from the roadway, but also the education aspect with young drivers about the dangers of impaired driving. I also stand with the victims and the families of victims affected by impaired driving deaths. I still maintain friendships with some of the families that I encountered when they were suffering the worst.”

How do you stay motivated to be Hero-Grade during difficult situations?

“My motivation comes from my past (and present) experience as a Police Officer. I have been the first officer on scene at the ‘bad crash’ and relied on our software platform to help guide others through those incidents. I understand that our software empowers First Responders daily, so I work as hard as I can to collaborate with others to provide solutions.”

How has teamwork impacted your role?

“I work across multiple teams, multiple product lines and serve in a number of roles. I am thankful to work with others that value service on a daily basis. I believe that we can do hard things, and I will always stand with others that do the hard things!”

What advice would you give to others who strive to make a meaningful impact in public service?

“Do the hard thing! Don’t be wary of being wrong. Ask questions of your leaders. Make good and sound decisions and own them!”

Looking ahead, how do you hope to continue serving your community?

“I am still an active Law Enforcement Reserve officer. I am still on an on-call basis with my local Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) for fatal and near fatal crashes. I have also started training the next generation of CIRT members as well. I volunteer at a Middle School to help with Athletics, I am the ‘Voice of the Generals’ for football season. I volunteer as a board member for a 5K race at the Tennessee Children’s Home. I coach multiple youth softball teams as well.”

Deanna Kahl-Lundberg

Deanna Kahl-Lundberg serves as Administrator for the Town of Turtleford in rural Saskatchewan, where she has built a career in public administration on knowing the people she serves. She keeps track of residents’ milestones and life events and uses that knowledge to shape programs and support so no one, young or old, gets overlooked.

Her proudest legacy may be the town’s volunteer fire department. For decades, Deanna has organized the fundraisers that keep it going, raising tens of thousands of dollars along the way. Today Turtleford has one of the best-trained, best-supported, and best-equipped volunteer fire departments in rural Saskatchewan, and a community that stands firmly behind the firefighters who protect it.

“Be Kind” is the rule she lives by, and she asks her staff to carry it into every interaction. Residents know she’ll listen, whether they raise a concern loudly or quietly. Her work reaches across town life, from initiatives that support small businesses to improved public spaces and civic engagement.

As she moves toward retirement, Deanna plans to keep serving through volunteer work and by passing on what decades in public administration have taught her.

“She has become the living memory of the town, keeping track of milestones, life events, health and history of every resident,” shared the person who nominated her.

Q&A with Deanna Kahl-Lundberg

What inspires you to be Hero-Grade?

“The people in my community inspire me, a community isn’t an abstract concept it’s the residents who fill it. Their stories, their struggles, their hopes and their everyday acts of courage are what push me to do better every day.”

What are you most proud of in your impact on the public sector?

“I’m incredibly proud of the decades I have spent helping raise funds for our local volunteer fire department. Together, we’ve raised tens of thousands of dollars, and as a result our community now has one of the best-trained, best-supported, and most well-equipped volunteer fire departments in rural Saskatchewan.”

How do you stay motivated to be Hero-Grade during difficult situations?

“When challenges show up, I remind myself that the work isn’t just about tasks or outcomes – it’s about serving real people who rely on us, believe in us, and deserve our best. Focusing on the residents keeps me motivated, even in challenging circumstances.”

How has teamwork impacted your role?

“Without the support of a great team, accomplishing anything meaningful becomes incredibly difficult. I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to work alongside exceptional people, all committed to the same goals and driven by a shared purpose.”

What advice would you give to others who strive to make a meaningful impact in public service?

“Accolades may not come; recognition may be sparse, and many of your best efforts will happen out of sight. The real payoff is knowing you made someone’s day easier, strengthened a community, or solved a problem no one else even saw.”

Looking ahead, how do you hope to continue serving your community?

“As I move toward retirement, I hope to continue serving my community by remaining actively engaged, sharing my experience and contributing through meaningful volunteer work.”

Hero Awards FAQ

Can I nominate myself for a Hero Award?

Yes. Self-nominations are welcome.

When are Hero Award winners announced?

Winners are notified privately in March and announced publicly at ENGAGE 2027 in April.

How often are the Hero Awards given?

Twice a year, so every nominee has more than one chance to be recognized.

Do I need to wait to register for ENGAGE 2027?

No. Register now, and if you’re selected as a Hero Award winner after purchasing a ticket, CentralSquare will refund it.

How to Nominate a Public Safety or Public Service Hero

Congratulations, Chris and Deanna. One still answers the call for the toughest crashes on his community’s roads. The other put better equipment in her firefighters’ hands, one fundraiser at a time. They show what Hero-Grade looks like day in and day out, and they’re exactly who the Hero Awards were built to celebrate.

Their spotlights started with a colleague who took a few minutes to share what they’d seen. The Hero Awards carry that tradition forward with more categories and more ways to say thank you. Nominate the teammate who walks everyone through the process for the Mentor Award, or the administrator who knows every resident for the Community Champion Award.

Nominations are open through February 19. Nominate a hero for the CentralSquare Hero Awards.
Nominate a Hero