James Bliss and Annette Sward

The James Bliss and Annette Sward Forestry and Nursing Scholarship was created as a memorial to James Bliss in the year 2000. Jim was a resident of Monterey County, California for 25 years and active in firefighting and prevention for 38 years. Jim retired as Chief of Command and Control for the California Department of Forestry Fire Protection in 1998. He was based in Sacramento, California at the time of his death. The Fund was established with gifts from his wife Annette Sward and members and friends of the Bliss family, as a permanent endowment fund. The expressed purpose of the fund is to award scholarships to one or more students in Monterey, San Benito or Santa Cruz counties each year to financially aid students enrolled in the challenging curriculum.