Sheriff's Office Employees Of The Year Honored

Date Added: March 03, 2015 10:30 am

Andrew Gant
Public Information Office

Five of the best representatives of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office were honored Tuesday for the exceptional work that made them 2014’s employees of the year.

The five honorees included four employees – sworn and civilian – and one volunteer, all of whom were previous recipients of quarterly Sheriff’s Office awards in 2014.

Deputy Thomas Proctor took home the Deputy of the Year award. In August, Proctor rushed into a burning trailer in Oak Hill, pulling an unconscious victim to safety where he and a second deputy performed chest compressions. Proctor re-entered the trailer to make sure there weren’t any other victims inside. “I’m very proud of what you did,” Sheriff Ben Johnson told Proctor on Tuesday morning. “It was very brave. You’ve done a great job – you’ve earned this.”

Investigator of the Year Cordell Lemay spent many of his weekends and days off in 2014 investigating a complex retail theft organization. “Nearly every day, Investigator Lemay came to work early and stayed late,” his supervisor wrote in his nomination. “He worked on the weekends, on his days off and even in the middle of the night. He sacrificed his personal life and free time in order to bring down this complex and devastating organization.” The investigation revealed more than $1.25 million in thefts in just a year’s time. “You’ve earned it,” Sheriff Johnson told Lemay as he received his award Tuesday. “You always do a great job.”

Employee of the Year Glenn Lopez was one of the keys to the transition from Volusia County’s separate emergency dispatching centers to the consolidated communications center in place today. Lopez, the Sheriff’s Office liaison for all the law enforcement, fire and ambulance agencies served by the communications center, excelled at a demanding job, keeping the 24/7 system running smoothly. “You’ve been a credit to the Sheriff’s Office ever since you’ve been here,” Sheriff Johnson said. “You’ve done a super job.”

Telecommunicator of the Year Robyn Adair was honored for her work, which included her handling of an October 911 call with no one speaking to her. Adair quickly realized the call was an accidental dial – and that the voices in the background were talking about illegal drugs. Ultimately, the information she was able to glean from the call led deputies to an active meth lab in Deltona where three people were arrested. “That was super,” Sheriff Johnson said Tuesday. “You work hard, and you do a great job. It’s an honor and a pleasure to present this to you.”

Volunteer of the Year Margaret Clauser’s main responsibility is to advocate for victim compensation. In 2014, she helped dozens of crime victims receive checks from the state to cover what they lost in property crimes. But she also volunteers at the front desk of the Sheriff’s Office District 2 location in DeLand, helping the citizens who come looking for law enforcement assistance. “We couldn’t do it without you volunteers,” Sheriff Johnson said Tuesday. “We really appreciate it.”