Denton County announced the death of longtime community leader, 70-year-old Brenda Gormley on Thursday.
Brenda was a longtime volunteer with the Denton County Community Emergency Response Team before getting hired on with the Denton County Office of Emergency Management team full-time in 2018.
As the CERT Coordinator, she played an instrumental role in building and leading the county’s CERT team, which has trained thousands of residents to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies and disasters.
Her work was recognized at the local level and the national level.
“Brenda spent many years in service to others – the epitome of a public servant,” said Denton County Judge Andy Eads. “She was committed to developing the CERT program, which garnered national recognition and even earned invitations to the White House in 2009 and 2011 as one of the top performing CERT programs in the U.S. Brenda will be greatly missed as a vital part of our Denton County family.”
As a volunteer, Gormley developed the Denton County CERT program in 2005 to assist Hurricane Katrina evacuees, and the program has continued ever since.
Brenda joined the Denton County Office of Emergency Services in January 2018, and according to Denton County, grew the program from 11 members to more than 500 active members.
She also served as secretary for the Denton County VOAD Citizens Corps Council.
In 2023, she was recognized by the White House as one of 16 Champions of Change for Disaster Preparedness. In 2016, she received the National Service “Make a Difference” Award from Gov. Greg Abbott for her longtime service to the Denton County Community.
“We lost an important member of our team,” said Samantha Taylor, director of the Denton County Office of Emergency Management. “We honor her for her service not only to Denton County but to the many people whose lives she touched.”
Brenda also spent time as a chair for the North Central Texas Regional Citizen Corps Council where she was responsible for the implementation, growth and sustainment of many Citizen Corps programs.
In May 2010, Brenda was part of a group that helped write the first G517 CERT Master Instructor Curriculum and became a CERT Master Instructor traveling to provide classes across Texas. In 2011, she was awarded the first Jack Colley Award for volunteerism.
From an early age, Brenda learned the importance of helping others. Growing up in a military family, she volunteered in church programs wherever her father was stationed and assisted her mother when the Chaplain’s car arrived to deliver difficult news from Vietnam.
As a young woman, Brenda began her lifelong commitment to service as a Candy Striper at Comanche County Memorial Hospital and a volunteer with the American Red Cross.
Her professional career included serving as Safety Coordinator with Southwestern Bell Telephone, AT&T and Lucent Technologies. Even in her professional life, Brenda made safety and community well-being a top priority.
Her dedication extended beyond work. She served as Rodeo Sponsor for Lewisville High School as well as a volunteer and President of the Lewisville Citizens Police Academy. In 2005, Brenda visited the Highland Village Fire Department to learn about the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, which sparked what would become one of her greatest passions.
“I have known Brenda for a number of years, since my time on the Lewisville City Council,” said Precinct 3 Commissioner Bobbie J. Mitchell. “She has always been dedicated to serving both the community and the county as well as the people who live here. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family during this time of need.”
A meal train has been set up for individuals to donate food and gift cards for Brenda’s family at https://mealtrain.com/n93ze7.
According to Denton County, a visitation will be held from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Mulkey-Mason Funeral Home at 740 S. Edmonds Lane in Lewisville.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Heart Association. A Celebration of Life will be held during the week of Jan. 26 with the exact time and date to be announced later.
