Area public safety officers were honored in a lunch at River Run Country Club Thursday (Lake Norman Chamber photo)
Kathryn Firmin-Sellers, PhD, the Region Director for United Family Services, was the keynote speaker for the 7th annual event. She spoke about the need for a magistrate in north Mecklenburg to help with domestic abuse cases and the progress of a victim advocate that the agency has hired with funding from Davidson, Cornelius and Huntersville. She also presented the first Champion for Victim’s Rights award to Inge Garrison from Presbyterian Hospital.
Melvin Waller
The chamber says the annual lunch “salutes the men and women who work tirelessly to protect and serve the families and businesses of the Lake Norman region.”
With chamber President Bill Russell as emcee, awards were presented to the most outstanding officer from each north Mecklenburg police and fire department, as selected by their respective chiefs.
The Lake Norman Chamber Public Service Award recipients for 2012 are:
- Officer Matthew Sheppard, Cornelius Police Department
- Officer Melvin Waller Jr., Davidson Police Department,
- Detective Tim Lesser, Huntersville Police Department
- Firefighter E.J. McCormick, Cornelius Lemley Fire Rescue
- Firefighter Matthew Jovic, Davidson Fire Department
- Firefighter Brent Irvin, Huntersville Fire Department,
- John “Koppy” Williams, North Mecklenburg Rescue Squad.
Nancy McGahey was presented with the The Crime Stopper of the Year award by Crime Stoppers Chairman Tommy Davis. Mr. Davis was recognized in turn by Cornelius Police Chief Bence Hoyle, for his service to the region.
The awards program was presented by Wells Fargo Bank and sponsored by Lake Norman Publications, Central Piedmont Community College, and North Mecklenburg Crime Stoppers.
RELATED LINKS
May 11, 2012, “Memory of fallen colleagues drives officer’s ride to D.C.” – Davidson officer Melvin Waller writes about his experience on 9/11 and a bicycle ride took last spring.
