Gwinnett County (METRO ATLANTA) GA โ May 20ย โ Theย Gwinnett Chamber VALOR Awards, presented by Mobile Communications America and Motorola Solutions, Inc., honored local public safety officials during a ceremony this morning at theย Gas South Convention Center. Recipients were recognized for their exceptional acts of bravery and service to the local community.
โThe VALOR Awards epitomize the essence of the word โchampion,โ a key component to the Chamberโs mission when it comes to growing business,โ said Nick Masino, President & CEO of the Gwinnett Chamber. โA safe community is paramount to a strong economy, and we are grateful to these amazing men and women for their bravery, commitment, and โvalorโ here in Gwinnett.โ
The event celebrated award winners in nine categories with more than a dozen officers being recognized for their dedication to protect and serve the greater Gwinnett region.
Theย Medal of Valorย โ gold, silver, and bronze levels โ recognized those individuals who exhibited bravery and heroism in situations of extreme danger, heightened emergency, and/or risk of injury and death.
- Theย Gold Medal of Valorย was presented to Officer Shawn Humphreys of the Lawrenceville Police Department.
- Theย Silver Medal of Valorย was awarded to an entire unit from the Gwinnett County Police Department: Corporal Daniel Werner, Master Police Officer William Bohn, Master Police Officer David Delshad, Police Officer Senior David Bautista-Martinez, and Police Officer Senior Alexander Elkins.
- Theย Bronze Medal of Valorย was given to Police Officer Senior Cameron Turner with the Gwinnett County Police Department.
Theย Life Saving Award, presented to a public safety professional who acted in a life-threatening situation where an individualโs life was in jeopardy, was given to Officer Aaron Devries of the Snellville Police Department.
Corporal Tracey M. Reed, Gwinnett County Police Department, was awarded theย Medal of Meritย for her outstanding contributions to the community both on and off the job.
Theย Public Safety Awardsย honored those individuals who have performed their jobs with exceptional skill, expertise, innovation, and results. This year, a person, a unit, and a communications officer received this honor.
- Theย Public Safety Person of the Yearย went to Police Officer Senior James Ross with the Gwinnett County Police Department.
- The Gwinnett County Sheriffโs Office Fugitive Unit received theย Public Safety Unit of the Yearย award.
- Communications Officer Elizabeth Pizarro with the Gwinnett County Police Department received theย Public Safety Communications Officer of the Yearย award.
Chief Bruce Hedley with the Lilburn Police Department received this yearโsย Leadership Awardย for his excellence in community-oriented engagement while fostering a departmental environment that values collaboration and cooperation at the command staff level.
Masino added, โThe Gwinnett Chamber congratulates all of this yearโs VALOR Award winners and thanks our sponsors for making this amazing event possible.โ
To learn more about the VALOR Awards program, go toย gwinnettchamber.org/valor-awards/ย and for upcoming event information, visitย www.gwinnettchamber.org/events.
# # #
About the Gwinnett Chamber
The Gwinnett Chamber serves as the voice for businesses, facilitating quality job growth opportunities while enhancing the communityโs vitality and quality of life. The Chamber offers the metro Atlanta business community a wealth of growth opportunity by collaborating with regional partners to drive economic and community development initiatives throughout Georgia. Through its fundamental objectives to help create quality jobs and wealth, strengthen the community, and grow business, the Chamber serves more than 2,500 member companies in metro Atlanta while delivering innovative programs to connect businesses locally, regionally, and globally.