On Tuesday, April 30, members of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) were presented with multiple prestigious awards recognizing FCSO’s support of service members and volunteers.
Sheriff Rick Staly, Chief Mark Strobridge, Chief Daniel Engert, Sergeant Eric Allen, and Corporal Jay Rodenborn received the Patriot Award from the Office of the Secretary of Defense Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). According to the ESGR, this award reflects the efforts made by supervisors or bosses to support employees who are members of the National Guard or Reserve through a wide range of measures including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence, if needed.
An employee serving in the National Guard or Reserve, or their spouse, may nominate their supervisors for support provided directly to the nominating Service member and their family. The recipients were nominated by Deputy Jorge Fernandez de Lara. In addition to working as a bailiff in FCSO’s Court and Detention Services Division, Deputy Fernandez de Lara is a member of the United States Coast Guard Reserve.
For similar efforts, FCSO was recently recognized as a VETS Indexes 4 Star Employer, demonstrating the agency’s commitment to recruiting, hiring, retaining, developing, and supporting veterans and the military-connected community.
“It is an honor for our team to receive this award,” said Sheriff Staly. “The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is proud to support our service members in the National Guard and Reserves and our nation’s veterans. We greatly value the efforts of the members of our team, like Deputy Fernandez de Lara, that serve our country at the same time they are serving our county.”
58 members of the FCSO Citizen Observer Patrol (COP) Unit received the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA). The PVSA, established in 2003 by President George W. Bush and continued by every president since, honors individuals who have dedicated their time volunteering to make a positive impact in their communities. The award is presented by AmeriCorps in partnership with Points of Light. There are four award levels based on hours of volunteer service.
COP Chief Roberson Brown Jr. was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, the award’s highest level. To qualify for this award, individuals are required to have a minimum of 4,000 hours of documented volunteer service over their lifetime. Brown has volunteered with the COP Unit since 2020. In March 2022, he was appointed by Sheriff Staly to oversee the Unit. Prior to volunteering at FCSO, Brown served as a law enforcement officer for 32 years and was a former police chief for the Albany State University Police Department. Since joining the agency, Brown has logged 5,658 total hours of volunteer service.
The Gold Award was presented to 17 members of the COP Unit who recorded over 500 hours of documented volunteer service in 2023. This includes:
- Roberson Brown Jr. – 2,871 hours
- Robert Millett – 1,499 hours
- Peter Sarni – 1,038 hours
- William Schuyler – 934 hours
- Kevin Riebsam – 908 hours
- Terry Potter – 907 hours
- Carlos Nunez – 863 hours
- Mark Price – 664 hours
- Jill Dempsey – 660 hours
- Thomas Semon – 647 hours
- Gilbert Proudfoot – 614 hours
- Mary Mollico – 590 hours
- Thomas Buckel – 587 hours
- Deborah Morman – 586 hours
- Joe Camit – 533 hours
- Dennis Shiverdecker – 504 hours
- James Zimmerman – 503 hours
The Silver Award was presented to 19 members of the COP Unit who recorded between 250 and 499 hours of documented volunteer service in 2023. This includes:
- Darrell Lambert – 472 hours
- Edward Walsh – 445 hours
- Brian Rosen – 444 hours
- Ellen Bell – 439 hours
- Christopher Glenn – 423 hours
- Anthony Carcich – 415 hours
- Lisa Mitchell – 411 hours
- David Praisler – 358 hours
- Linda Sordoni – 358 hours
- Ronald Ragsdale – 358 hours
- William Goodhue – 352 hours
- Richard Bellebuono – 343 hours
- Jack Ogden Jr. – 333 hours
- Tim McMullen – 319 hours
- Joel Despres – 309 hours
- Vernell Williams – 288 hours
- Rothar Boswell – 267 hours
- Marc Friedman – 262 hours
- George Navarro – 253 hours
The Bronze Award was presented to 22 members of the COP Unit who recorded between 100 and 249 hours of documented volunteer service in 2023. This includes:
- Linda McDowell – 237 hours
- Andrew Dodzik – 231 hours
- Charles Blevins – 230 hours
- Robert Crocilla – 222 hours
- Nancy Del Riego – 221 hours
- Tommy Draves – 221 hours
- Gary Masten – 213 hours
- Albert DiFederico – 196 hours
- Paul Matarazzo – 190 hours
- Carol Bader – 174 hours
- Mary Beth Swanson – 173 hours
- Gerald Sarni – 171 hours
- Carol Oxford-Yard – 167 hours
- Anna Allen – 149 hours
- Gerald Dickens – 127 hours
- Joseph Tamalavic Jr. – 127 hours
- Daniel Abraham – 125 hours
- Michael Simas – 123 hours
- Nancy Morea – 123 hours
- Wanda Williams – 123 hours
- Kevin Niskala – 120 hours
- Lorenzo Sordoni – 112 hours
“I am honored to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award and am excited for the members of our COP ‘A-team’ that received recognition as well,” said Chief Brown. “The COP Unit is made up of many hard-working individuals who selflessly give back to their community. I’m grateful to Sheriff Staly for the opportunity to lead this team of outstanding volunteers.”
In 2023, the FCSO COP Unit was named the winner of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership in Volunteer Service Programs Award — Comprehensive Police Service Program. Since 2005, the COPs have volunteered over 26,000 hours, saving taxpayers over $4,806,000.
“Volunteerism truly makes a difference,” added Sheriff Staly. “I am extremely proud of everything the COP Unit has accomplished through their efforts to assist our sworn deputies and our community. It is truly a pleasure to see their hard work get recognized—both as a whole unit and as individuals.”
Interested in volunteering? To learn more about the COP Unit and get involved, visit flaglersheriff.com/join-fcso/volunteers/cop
