For the 17th year, Chapter 74 of the International Footprint Association recognized Officers of the Year from 12 public safety agencies in Clallam County.
Law enforcement and firefighters were nominated by their host agencies and recognized at the Footprinter awards ceremony and dinner held at Sequim Elks Lodge 2642. The agency supervisor introduced and shared the accomplishment of nominee for the award and organization president Sandra Strafford presented plaques to each honoree.
It also promotes the welfare of its members and communities to champion the true spirit of Americanism by supporting such civic activities as charitable works, sponsoring youth group activities and awarding scholarships for young people interested in law enforcement and firefighting.
Pictured are honorees on bottom row and their supervisor(s) on top row from left to right: Lt. Jimmy Thompson, Lower Elwha Klallam Police Department for officer Nekoda White; Pen Com supervisor Dennis LaBoy for communications officer Cameron Jensen; associate superintendent Eddie Reetz and superintendent Jeri Boe, Clallam Bay Corrections Center, for corrections officer Lee Wachendorf; assistant chief Joel McKeen Port Angeles Fire Department for captain Travis McFarland; Justin Grider, Clallam County Fire District 3 Chief, for volunteer/EMT Brendan Tucker; Steve Hopf, Clallam County Fire District 2 commissioner, for captain/paramedic Ian Brueckner; Port Angeles Police Chief Brian Smith for officer Whitney Fairbanks; John Southard, Sequim Police Department Deputy Chief, for officer Stephanie Benes; Lorraine Shore, Clallam County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff, for inspector Josh Ley; Washington State Patrol Trooper Katherine Weatherwax for trooper Lyndon Schwilke; Greg Waters, Clallam County Fire District Chief, for firefighter/EMT Ken DeBondt; and, Footprinter program chairman Gene Mattson. Not pictured: Keith Varga, U.S. Border Patrol acting watch commander/chaplain, for supervisory patrol board agent Matthew Notari, and Footprinters Chapter 74 president Sandra Strafford.
