Oregon State Sheriffs' Association 2006 Award Winners

Marion County Sheriff Raul Ramirez and Washington County Rob Gordon Named Sheriffs of the Year 2006

"Sheriff of the Year 2006" Marion County Sheriff Raul Ramirez Photo by: Tim King

(BEND) - A man who gave his life to save three swimmers. An eight-year old girl who fought the man attacking her mother. Two men whose mastery of heavy equipment saved car-wreck victims from hot tar. Three men who stopped another from burning down a packed church. Four men who lifted an unconscious driver from a burning Jeep. Two 14-year-old boys who comforted a deputy injured during a horseback ride.

These citizen heroes and others were honored during the Oregon State Sheriffs' Association Annual Conference held Dec. 10th-14th at the Riverhouse Conference Center in Bend.

During an awards banquet held Wednesday, Dec. 13th, Awards Committee Chairperson Andy Bentz, Malheur County Sheriff, presented OSSA awards in several categories.

Sharing this year's "SHERIFF OF THE YEAR" honor were Washington County Sheriff ROB GORDON and Marion County Sheriff RAUL RAMIREZ; both were honored for their progressive work in community-building and continuing education for law enforcement professionals.

The OSSA also gave out 12 "PRESIDENT'S SPECIAL RECOGNITION" awards to Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs from across the state -- plus awards (from the Oregon Sheriffs' Civil Command Council, Enforcement Command Council and Jail Command Council) for individual deputies and volunteers.

A detailed list of the awards is below:

SHERIFF OF THE YEAR 2006 Marion County Sheriff Raul Ramirez: Sheriff Raul Ramirez began his career with the MCSO in 1975, and progressed through the ranks to Sheriff in 1997. He holds his office in our State Capitol.

His first big move as Sheriff was to merge the forces of Sheriff’s Office, Jails, and Parole & Probation under the banner of the Sheriff’s Office. Before, they had been three stand-alone agencies.

Sheriff Ramirez has worked to build strong relationships with all his communities, and to establish outreach programs for Hispanic community members.

He was the catalyst in forming the Latin American Law Enforcement Association, a statewide organization comprising Hispanic and non-Hispanic law-enforcement and corrections officers. Sheriff Ramirez has served on various boards and commissions dealing with Hispanic-community issues, both locally and at the state level.

Realizing that there was no program in place to train newly elected Sheriffs in their very complex jobs, Sheriff Ramirez developed and manages the OSSA New Sheriff’s Institute every December during election years. This course of classes has been a boon to many new Sheriffs over the last several years. The Institute gives new Sheriffs a forum for learning plus a chance to start networking with peers and the OSSA before they take office.

Sheriff Ramirez is the incoming President of OSSA. He also serves on the committees of the OSP Forensic Labs, the Public Safety and Planning Council, and the Oregon Accreditation Alliance as well as several other law-enforcement committees.

SHERIFF OF THE YEAR 2006 Washington County Sheriff Rob Gordon: Sheriff Rob Gordon started with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WSCO) in 1979, and became Sheriff in 2002. He’s worked to improve the office not only in Clackamas County, but for all Sheriff’s Offices in Oregon, through his work with the OSSA.

While Sheriff Gordon was WSCO’s Jail Commander, he was awarded Commander of the Year in 1998 and Jail Manager of the Year in 2001. He was the lead author of the OSSA Jail Standards which in 1999 became the adopted standards for all Oregon county jails.

Sheriff Gordon also identified a need for OSSA to offer training to jail command-level staff around the state. He subsequently developed a curriculum for a Jail Managers Command College and the course was so well received, that the OSSA decided to expand the project to offer leadership training to all Sheriff’s Office managers, regardless of their present assignment.

Sheriff Gordon and Sheriff Ramirez then worked to create the present Command College that develops current and future leaders in Sheriff’s Offices throughout the state. The training gives students tools to build stronger relationships in their communities and in their staffs -- helping make for truly great law enforcement agencies in all 36 Oregon counties.

Sheriff Gordon continues to instruct at the Command College, in addition to working with his staff to facilitate its 52-hour weeklong curriculum. Since its 2004 founding, 216 students -- from patrol, jail, civil and parole and probation divisions, plus business and administrative-management personnel -- have graduated.

Sheriff Gordon is also on the OSSA Board of Directors, and is a member of committees for the Deputy Academy, Amber Alert, the Oregon Clearing House on Missing Children, and Jail Manager Training, among others.

2006 PRESIDENT’S SPECIAL RECOGNITION

• Tillamook County Sheriff Todd Anderson
• Polk County Sheriff Bob Wolfe
• Washington County Sheriff’s Office Civil Unit Supervisor Tim Leader
• OSSA Civil Counsel Elmer Dickens
• Klamath County Sheriff's Office Civil/Record Supervisor Rebecca Dailey
• Washington County Sheriff’s Office Civil Office Supervisor Greg DeSau
• Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Civil Technician Rebecca Brown
• Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Chief Civil Deputy Christie Meister
• Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Sr. Deputy Marshall Ross
• Wasco County Sheriff’s Office Civil Deputy Sunny Talatzko
• Marion County Sheriff’s Office Chief Civil Deputy Brian Wallace
• Linn County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Tami Wood

IN APPRECIATION FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICES AS 2006 PRESIDENT OF THE OREGON STATE SHERIFFS’ ASSOCIATION Crook County Sheriff Rodd Clark OSSA President

OREGON SHERIFFS’ CIVIL COMMAND COUNCIL AWARDS

IN APPRECIATION FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICES AS 2006 PRESIDENT OF THE OREGON SHERIFFS’ CIVIL COMMAND COUNCIL Chief Civil Deputy Brian Wallace Marion County Sheriff’s Office

CIVIL SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR Civil Unit Supervisor Tim Leader Washington County Sheriff’s Office

CIVIL DEPUTY OF THE YEAR Civil Deputy Chris Watson Josephine County Sheriff’s Office

CIVIL SUPPORT STAFF OF THE YEAR Police Support Technician Steve Vorberg Josephine County Sheriff’s Office

OUTSTANDING CIVIL VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR Reserve Sgt. Steve Leslie Klamath County Sheriff’s Office

OREGON SHERIFFS’ ENFORCEMENT COMMAND COUNCIL AWARDS

IN APPRECIATION FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICES AS 2006 PRESIDENT OF THE OREGON SHERIFFS’ ENFORCEMENT COMMAND COUNCIL Capt. Marc Mills Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office

OPERATIONS COMMANDER OF THE YEAR Capt. Michael J. Machado Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office

SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR Lt. Paul Steigleder Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office

DEPUTY OF THE YEAR Deputy Rich Harriman Malheur County Sheriff’s Office

VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Volunteers

OREGON SHERIFFS’ JAIL COMMAND COUNCIL AWARDS

IN APPRECIATION FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICES AS 2006 PRESIDENT OF THE OREGON SHERIFFS’ JAIL COMMAND COUNCIL Commander Chris Hoy Marion County Sheriff’s Office

JAIL COMMANDER OF THE YEAR Capt. Rai Adgers Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office

SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR Sgt. Brook Van Der Zwiep Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office

EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR Sgt. Lee Eby Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office

VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR Gene and Marilyn Lee Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office

LIFE-SAVING AWARDS

RECIPIENTS: Jeremy Ast, Jeremiah Storton, Jay Rettig and Geffrey Kinnaman: Recognizes their successful efforts on March 10, 2006 to save the life of a crash victim who was trapped in his burning vehicle. Their quick thinking and brave action was pivotal in saving the man’s life.

RECIPIENTS: Pete Uhler and Scott Arlen: Recognizes their successful efforts on March 30, 2006 to save the lives of three crash victims who were trapped and threatened by hot tar that was leaking from a truck that had come to rest on top of their vehicle. Quick thinking and decisive action by Uhler, Arlen and other citizens from Morgan Machinery Moving were pivotal in saving their lives.

RECIPIENT: John Stephen Rae: Posthumously recognizes John Stephen Rae’s successful efforts to rescue a young woman and two girls from drowning in the Little North Santiam River on June 25, 2006. Although he was able to save the girls, he was then unable to save himself and perished. He gave his life so others could live.

RECIPIENTS: Scott King, Lavern Marks and Charles Smith: Recognizes their brave efforts on Oct. 25, 2006 to subdue a deranged man intent on burning down a Salem church -- which could have killed several hundred people inside. Their decisive action saved the lives of many.

RECPIENTS: Kelly Larson and Michael Ryan: Recognizes their successful efforts on July 27th, 2006, to assist a rider who was thrown from her horse and seriously injured on a remote trail in Hood River County. Their quick thinking and decisive action helped keep her alive until other rescuers could arrive.

AWARD OF VALOR

RECIPIENT: Ashley Capps: Given by the Oregon State Sheriffs' Association in recognition of her brave actions on Oct. 22, 2006, when she went to the assistance of her mother who was being attacked by a male intruder who was experiencing a severe drug overdose. Her actions saved her mother and gave deputies the critical time they needed to respond.