450 Attend 2019 Night of Remembrance and Awards Ceremony

Approximately 450 people attended the 2019 MADD Tennessee Statewide Night of Remembrance and Awards Ceremony held on December 12, 2019, at the Nashville Airport Marriott. The evening began with a greeting from MADD Tennessee State Program Director, Phaedra Marriott-Olsen. She spoke of the 10,511 fatalities in 2018 across our nation resulting from impaired driving and shared that, in Tennessee alone, we lost 380 lives and had 5,257 injuries due to crashes involving alcohol impaired drivers or drivers who had used drugs. She then told the crowd which consisted of victims and law enforcement from across the state, “This is unacceptable! I am so incredibly sorry that you know the painful ache in your hearts and devastation to your families firsthand.” She added, “YOU always have a place at MADD. Your loved ones, your families, your friends – THEY always have a place at MADD. MADD will not stop working until there are No More Victims.”

Next, Trooper Dakota Jordan from the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Jackson District performed the National Anthem and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Honor Guard presented the colors.

As the candlelight vigil portion of the event began, Phaedra shared her own personal story of being hit by a drunk driver which resulted in multiple injuries including a devastating injury to her aortic heart valve. At 22, doctors had to make a life-saving decision to cut-off blood supply to her lower extremities during open heart surgery resulting in permanent paralysis. She empathized with the other victims and survivors in the room and encouraged them that, together, they could save lives and fight for a future of No More Victims.

Marlie Ford, survivor of an impaired driving crash, lit the first candle to honor the survivors of impaired driving crashes. Trooper Joseph Massengill of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, who lost his parents, lit the second candle to remember those whose lives were lost due to an impaired driving crash. Finally, Director Buddy Lewis of the Tennessee Highway Safety Office. lit the third candle to assert hope for the future that we will have No More Victims. As the crowd stood and lit their own candles, an electronic slide show was presented on two screens showing the faces of Tennessee victims killed and/or injured in impaired driving crashes.

Steve Dillard, East Tennessee Law Enforcement Liaison giving the Benediction before dinner is served.

Following dinner, the event partners were recognized beginning with our Colonel’s Partner, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). Ted Kruse, of ADM, accepted a plaque on their behalf and spoke briefly to the crowd about how, after the loss of his 16-year-old-daughter, Maddie, in 2015, his company asked how they could help. He told them they could help make sure it didn’t happen to other families. He said that since then, they had been very supportive of his family and of MADD to do just that.

Captain’s Partners, State Farm and Nashville Airport Marriott, and Lieutenant’s Partner, the Tennessee Highway Patrol Troopers Association, were also presented with plaques. The Tennessee Wildlife Officers Association, Wal-mart, and the Sumner County Anti-Drug Coalition were also recognized as Sergeant’s Partners.

Next, event co-emcee’s Sergeant Vincent Turocy and Trooper Kenneth White of the Tennessee Highway Patrol honored six fallen officers killed in the line of duty in 2019 plus one who was killed off-duty when he was hit by an alleged impaired driver. They included Officer Nicholas Scott Galinger, Chattanooga Police Department. End of Watch: Sunday, February 24, 2019; Sergeant Steve Hinkle, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, End of Watch: Tuesday, February 26, 2019; Lieutenant Myron Fair, Memphis Police Department, End of Watch: Thursday, March 21, 2019; Trooper Matthew Elias Gatti, Tennessee Highway Patrol, End of Watch Monday, May 6, 2019; Officer John Ralph Anderson, IV, Metro Nashville Police Department, End of Watch: Thursday, July 4, 2019; Correctional Administrator Debra Johnson, Tennessee Department of Corrections, End of Watch Wednesday, August 7, 2019; Deputy Sheriff Stephen Reece, Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office, End of Watch: Friday, November 15, 2019.

After a moment of silence, the awards for Top DUI Enforcer were given. For each region, the Top Trooper for the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Top Officer for a Police Department, and the Top Deputy for a Sheriff’s Office were recognized for removing the highest number among their peers of impaired drivers from Tennessee roadways in 2018 while maintaining a current conviction rate of at least 75%.

West Tennessee Winners

Top DUI Enforcer for a Sheriff’s Department:

Top DUI Enforcer for a Police Department:

Top DUI Enforcer for the Tennessee Highway Patrol:

East Tennessee Winners

Top DUI Enforcer for a Sheriff’s Department:

Top DUI Enforcer for a Police Department:

Top DUI Enforcer for the Tennessee Highway Patrol:

East Tennessee Winners

Top DUI Enforcer for a Sheriff’s Department:

Top DUI Enforcer for the Tennessee Highway Patrol:

Finally the East TN Top DUI Enforcer for a Police Department was also the Statewide Top Overall DUI Enforcer of the Year bringing in the highest number of impaired drivers overall for 2018.

Next to be presented, were the MADD DUI Enforcement Awards. To be eligible for these awards, Troopers, Officers, or Deputies had to have a minimum of 25 DUI arrests in 2018 and maintain a current conviction rate of 75%. Supervisors were required to verify each award winner’s eligibility and then submit the information to MADD during the application period.

The first category of DUI Enforcement Awards to be given was for the Bronze Enforcement Award. This award was bestowed upon Troopers, Officers, and Deputies, who removed 25 to 49 impaired drivers from Tennessee Roadways in 2018. The award winners were called in three groups. The first group to be called included the following award winners:

Nominee Rank

First Name

Last Name

Agency/Department

DUI Arrests

Trooper

Ryan

Fletcher

THP Administrative District

Trooper

Devin

Bargatze

Nashville THP

Trooper

Ryan

Pope

Knoxville THP

Officer

Matthew

Braisted

Chattanooga Police Department

Trooper

Andrew

Coppinger

Fall Branch THP

Trooper

Maleeya Ruth

Human

Knoxville THP

Trooper

Dustin

Mitchell

Lawrenceburg THP

Trooper

Robert

Huitt

Lawrenceburg THP

Sergeant

Wesley

Bosheers

Lawrenceburg THP

Trooper

Adam

Storie

Fall Branch THP

Trooper

Steve

Long

Jackson THP

Officer

Alison

Smith

Brentwood Police Department

Sergeant

Michael

Lockard

Memphis THP

Trooper

Christopher

Dunn

Fall Branch THP

Trooper

Brandon

Hart

Nashville THP

Deputy

Jonathan

Stout

Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office

Sergeant

Chris

Roark

Belle Meade Police Department

Trooper

Grant

Montgomery

Memphis THP

Sergeant

Caleb

Cooper

Jackson THP

Trooper

Anthony

Bull

Fall Branch THP

Officer

Marvin

Perez

Chattanooga Police Department

Trooper

Ethan

Purcell

Lawrenceburg THP

Trooper

Christopher

Langley

Nashville THP

Presenting the winners with Bronze pins, were Sherita Bussey and Danielle Rudd. Sherita lost her 18-year-old daughter, Samia Lucas, when she was hit by a drunk driver on October 23, 2016. Danielle’s 28-year-old niece, Kristy Strickland, was killed when a 4-time repeat offender hit her head-on on March 23, 2018.

The second group of Bronze DUI Enforcement Award recipients included the following:

Nominee Rank	First Name	Last Name	Agency/Department	DUI Arrests
Trooper	Alex	Snider	Nashville THP	28
Trooper	Michael	Loftis	Cookeville THP	28
Trooper	Chris	Bayless	Knoxville THP	29
Trooper	Ronnie	Swafford	Chattanooga THP	29
Trooper	Dakota	Bromley	Chattanooga THP	29
Trooper	Dakota	Jordan	Jackson THP	30
Officer	Tyler	Edwards	Springfield Police Department	30
Trooper	Mariah	Harden	Jackson THP	30
Trooper	Tyler	Milam	Jackson THP	30
Trooper	Trevor	Nolan	Knoxville THP	30
Trooper	Andrew	Simunic	Nashville THP	30
Trooper	Jason	Cannon	Nashville THP	30
Trooper	Dalton	Hunt	Lawrenceburg THP	31
Trooper	Christopher	Burrell	THP Administrative District	31
Sergeant	Richard	McKinney	Shelby County Sheriff’s Office	32
Sergeant	Alex	Perry	Fall Branch THP	32
Trooper	Matthew	Rosson	Lawrenceburg THP	32
Trooper	De’Wunya	Topps	Nashville THP	32
Trooper	Clinton	Tudors	Chattanooga THP	33
Trooper	Ryan	Brackett	Fall Branch THP	34
Officer	Brandon	Gentry	Memphis Police Department	34
Trooper	Joey	Story	Nashville THP	34
Deputy	Crystal	Davis	Shelby County Sheriff’s Office	34
Officer	Alex	Moore	Metro Nashville Police Department	35
Officer	Edward	Draves	Metro Nashville Police Department	35
Sergeant	Scott	Lewis	Chattanooga THP	35
Trooper	Taylor	Dent	Chattanooga THP	35
Officer	Anthony	Estrada	Knoxville Police Department	35

Presenting the second group with their Bronze pins were Michelle Schmidt and Melinda Campbell. Michelle’s 19-year-old son, Dallas “Bubba” Downs was killed on April 8, 2018, when a friend who was impaired on drugs and alcohol crashed the car in which he was riding. Melinda’s husband, Michael, was killed on January 11, 2015, when a wrong-way drunk driver on Interstate 65 in Nashville hit him and his friend head-on.

The final group of Bronze DUI recipients included:

Nominee Rank	First Name	Last Name	Agency/Department	DUI Arrests
Trooper	Jeremy	Shelton	Fall Branch THP	36
Trooper	Michael	Robertson	Cookeville THP	36
Trooper	Dustin	Cotton	Lawrenceburg THP	36
Officer	Michael	Hickmon	Clarksville Police Department	36
Trooper	Garrett	Flannery	Jackson THP	37
Trooper	Brandon	Jackson	Cookeville THP	37
Officer	Meghan	McKeown	Metro Nashville Police Department	37
Trooper	Whitney	Stooksbury	Chattanooga THP	37
Officer	Alvin	Gray	Memphis Police Department	38
Trooper	Cody	Martin	Fall Branch THP	39
Officer	Ryan	Henehan	Metro Nashville Police Department	39
Deputy	Daniel	Keating	Shelby County Sheriff’s Office	39
Officer	Hayden	Cochran	Knoxville Police Department	40
Officer	Dexter	Rogers	Knoxville Police Department	41
Officer	Michael	Chapman	Memphis Police Department	42
Sergeant	Paul	Clendenen	Knoxville THP	42
Deputy	Nikolas	Madore	Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office	42
Detective	Richard	Presley	Murfreesboro Police Department	42
Deputy	Michael	Dixon	Shelby County Sheriff’s Office	42
Trooper	Stacy	Wigand	Fall Branch THP	44
Trooper	Terrence	Gann	Chattanooga THP	45
Trooper	James	Burger	Knoxville THP	46
Officer	Lionel	Brown	Memphis Police Department	46
Sergeant	Anthony	Sherron	Memphis THP	48
Officer	Kelvin	Payne	Memphis Police Department	48
Officer	David	Payment	Memphis Police Department	48
Deputy	Jacob	Beu	Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office	48
Trooper	Willis	Moore	Chattanooga THP	49

Presenting the pins for the third group of Bronze DUI Enforcement Award recipients were Jeff and Donna Garner whose 25-year-old son, Jeffrey Garner, was struck and killed by a drugged driver on May 18, 2017, when his truck broke down on the side of the road in DeSoto County.

The next category to be recognized was the MADD Silver Enforcement Award. This award was bestowed upon Troopers, Officers, and Deputies, who removed 50 to 99 impaired drivers from Tennessee Roadways in 2018. The Silver DUI Enforcement recipients were as follows:

Rank	First Name	Last Name	Agency/Department	DUI Arrests
Trooper	Rex	Bailey	Fall Branch THP	50
Trooper	Joseph	Olivas	Nashville THP	50
Officer	Ryan	Lynn	Chattanooga Police	51
Trooper	Adam	Cash	Jackson THP	51
Deputy	Austin	Watson	Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office	51
Sergeant	Randy	Euler	Chattanooga THP	53
Trooper	Rocky	Ghazi	Chattanooga THP	57
Sergeant	Franklin	Ayers	Jacksboro Police Department	57
Officer	Clinton	Langham	Memphis Police Department	58
Trooper	Jake	Bramer	Cookeville THP	59
Officer	Benjamin	Piazza	Chattanooga Police Department	59
Trooper	David	Greene	Lawrenceburg THP	60
Officer	Laneeze	Stepney	Memphis Police Department	60
Officer	Marvin	Richardson	Memphis Police Department	60
Trooper	James	Raines	Knoxville THP	61
Officer	Erskine	Caldwell	Memphis Police Department	62
Trooper	Ashton	Cotner	Lawrenceburg THP	63
Trooper	John – Mark	Tarr	Nashville THP	65
Sergeant	Joshua	Potts	Jackson THP	67
Sergeant	Craig	Amabile	Metro Nashville Police Department	69
Officer	Brian	Dugre	Metro Nashville Police Department	71
Officer	Michael	Terry	Chattanooga Police Department	79
Senior Deputy	John	Stith	Sumner County Sheriff’s Office	82
Trooper	Barry	Qualls	Lawrenceburg THP	87
Officer	David	Abbott	Metro Nashville Police Department	91

These award winners were presented their Silver DUI pins by Dave and Margaret Brown. On May 30, 1997, the Browns lost their 24-year-old daughter, Stefanie Kuehl, her unborn son, Thomas, and their 6-month-old granddaughter, Zadie, when they were hit by an impaired driver on his way to serve weekend time for a previous drunk driving conviction.

The MADD Gold Enforcement Award was given to Troopers, Officers, and Deputies who removed 100 to 199 impaired drivers from Tennessee Roadways in 2018. They are as follows:

Rank	First Name	Last Name	Agency/Department	DUI Arrests
Deputy	William	Travis	Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office	100
Trooper	Adam	Malone	Chattanooga THP	114
Officer	Bradley	Nave	Metro Nashville Police Department	124
Sergeant	Paul	Stein	Metro Nashville Police Department	136
Trooper	William	Satterfield	Knoxville THP	143

Presenting the Gold pin to these award winners was Sgt. Jimmy Brown of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office who was hit and injured by a drugged driver on April 7, 2017, while conducting a traffic stop on Interstate 24 near Nashville.

The final category of DUI Enforcement Awards presented at the 2019 Night of Remembrance and Awards Ceremony is not presented every year as the criteria for attaining it are difficult to achieve. There are only six recipients total in the State of Tennessee that have ever achieved this level. This final category is the MADD Platinum Enforcement Award. These Troopers, Officers, or Deputies removed 200 or more impaired drivers from Tennessee Roadways in 2018. They are as follows:

Rank	First	Last	Department	DUI Arrest
Sergeant	Stoney	Morton	Chattanooga THP	224
Officer	Jeffery	Buckner	Chattanooga Police Department	226

Presenting the Platinum DUI Enforcement pins were Jack and MaryLou Winkler. The Winkler’s daughter, Rebecca, was just 16 when she was hit and killed on June 23, 2005, by a ten-time repeat offender.

MADD Tennessee was proud to honor these 111 DUI Enforcement Award recipients who, together, removed a staggering 5,279 impaired drivers from Tennessee roadways in 2018! We know that every impaired driver removed represents potential lives saved and more families kept from enduring the pain of this 100% preventable tragedy.

The next portion of the evening focused on the presentation of the MADD Specialty Awards. The MADD Tennessee Specialty awards are nomination -based awards. Anyone could submit a nomination for these awards during the application period, based on the criteria specific to each award.

The first of these to be presented was the Tennessee Excellence Award. It is given to the top prosecutor for outstanding commitment to enforcing DUI laws and for supporting local volunteer’s victim-advocacy efforts. This year’s winner goes above and beyond the expectations of the victims with whom he works. Nominated by a victim family he served, the 2019 Statewide Tennessee Excellenward winner was General Ray Crouch of the 23rd Judicial Dist.

The Next award was the Power of Youth Award, given to a teen that has excelled in their efforts to prevent underage drinking. This year’s winner volunteered at the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Teen Driving Camp and started an active chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) at her high school. The recipient of the 2019 Statewiower of Youth Award was Lennon Spicer of Creekwood High Sc.

The Power of Community Award is given to a person, school or organization that has made an impact in their community to bring awareness of impaired driving. This year’s recipient was paralyzed in 2011 by a drunk driver when she was only 5-years-old. Now, she is a local celebrity and hero in Montgomery county. This year’s recipient of the 2019 Statewide Power of Community Award was Emily Mills. Emily was ill and unable to attend the event. But as she and her family watched on Facebook Live, family friend, Sgt. Jimmy Brown, who worked Emily’s crash scene, accepted the award on her behalf.

The Tennessee Golden Achievement Award is presented to a MADD volunteer who has excelled in promoting the mission of MADD. This award is the highest level award to be given to a MADD volunteer. This year’s recipients lost their son in 2014 and have shared their story relentlessly spreading awareness and asking people to choose not to drink and drive. They have devoted countless hours volunteering for MADD in addition to attending all three of MADD’s 2019 Walk Like MADD events in Knoxville, Nashville, and Memphis to raise funds and awareness in honor of their son, Jacob’s memory. The winners of the 2019 Statewide Golden Achievement Award were Jim and Carol Akers.

The next award to be presented was the First Responders Award. This award is given to a first responder who has excelled in exhibiting compassion or assistance where impaired driving is concerned. In Nashville, this off-duty Cheatham County deputy, noticed a truck that had failed to proceed when the light turned green. The deputy exited his own vehicle to check the welfare of the driver and found that he had appeared to have overdosed while driving. The deputy’s quick action not only saved the life of the driver, but also innocent bystanders as well. In fact, it was not the first time he had taken similar action to assist a driver who had overdosed while operating a vehicle. The recipient of the 2019 First Responders Award was Deputy Josh Marriott of the Cheathaunty Sheriff’s Office.

The Legislator of the Year Award is presented to an individual who has gone above and beyond to champion the mission of MADD by putting time and resources into legislation that improves DUI, victim rights, and/or underage drinking prevention laws in our state. This year’s winner has continuously fought for enhancement and accountability measures for those who choose to commit the violent crime of impaired driving. In addition to sanctioning offenders more aggressively, he has worked diligently on laws to prevent this crime. The 2019 MADD Tennessee Legislator of the Year award was presented to Representative William Lrth, District 44.

Next were the awards for Outstanding Service. These are also nomination-based and are presented to an officer or supervisor from each of the three regions, that excels in exhibiting compassion to impaired driving victims, partnering with youth on underage drinking prevention, or taking a proactive approach by implementing programs or enforcement campaigns to reduce DUI injuries and fatalities in their jurisdiction.

This year’s recipient of Middle Tennessee’s Outstanding Service award aggressively and proactively works to prevent drunk driving through multiple programs including, but not limited to, sobriety checkpoints, ensuring deputies are educated on DUI Enforcement, and communicating the dangers of impaired driving through social media and town hall meetings in his community. The 2019 Middle Tennessee Outstanding Service Award recipient was Sheriff Mike Breedlove of the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Offfice.

The recipient of the East Tennessee Outstanding Service award is described by his superiors as a leader in his department where impaired driving enforcement is concerned. He is a motivator among his peers with his enforcement driven achievements. His diverse experience has assisted him with his DUI enforcement abilities in his community. The recipient of the 2019 East Tennessee Outstanding Service award was Patrolman Jason Pabon he Tazewell Police Depart.

There were no nominations for the West Tennessee Outstanding Service Award for this year.

Next to be presented were the Outstanding Department Awards. These awards are given to a department/agency/section from each of the three regions that excels in exhibiting compassion to impaired driving victims, partnering with youth on underage drinking prevention, or taking a proactive approach by implementing programs or enforcement campaigns to reduce DUI injuries and fatalities in their jurisdiction.

The West Tennessee winner has taken a proactive approach in 2019 on DUI education with the community at large and has worked with youth as well. Their efforts included a youth safety camp and a citizen’s academy in addition to their ongoing DUI training for both new and seasoned officers. The recipient of the 2019 West Tennessee Outstanding Department award was They were unable to join us at the event, so Lt, Siler of the Tennessee Highway Patrol Jackson District accepted it on their behalf.

With the utilization of technology, the Middle Tennessee recipient takes a data – driven approach to addressing impaired driving issues in their county. The department tracks DUI crash hot-spots in order to inform High Visibility Enforcement patrols and pinpoint locations for Sobriety checkpoints. Additionally, the department participates in numerous community events throughout the county each year to educate the public about the dangers of impaired driving and sends their officers to DRE school and provides them training to identify impaired drivers. The recipient of the 2019 Middle Tennessee Outstanding Department award was Metro Nashville Police Department.

The recipient of East Tennessee’s Outstanding Department Award consists of a small group of Troopers who were given one simple task: reduce the number of fatal crashes. They excelled in an unprecedented manner. During 2018, in addition to their regular duties, this special unit removed 433 impaired Drivers from our roadways in Chattanooga, Tennessee. These four Troopers’ enforcement efforts totaled 33% of the 1,289 total impaired drivers removed from the roadways in the Chattanooga District, no doubt saving countless live. The recipient of the 2019 East Tennessee Outstanding Department award was the Tennessee Highway Patrol: Chattanooga District Troop A Midnight Shift.

The last two awards of the night were presented by MADD Program Director, Phaedra Marriott-Olsen. The MADD Tennessee Employee of the Year Award is given to an employee who has shown unparalleled commitment in their work towards our mission. It is a staff-driven award with employees asked to vote based on their peers’ performance throughout the year.

December 2019 marked the end of the recipient’s first year with MADD Tennessee. In the past 12 months, she has tirelessly served victims in the East Tennessee region and taken the initiative to create new relationships with law enforcement, court officials and victim communities in that area. The 2019 MADD Tennessee Employee of the Year award was given to Jami Wilson, East Tennessee Victim Services Specialist.

The final award of the night was the Director’s Choice Award. This award is bestowed on a person or agency who has exhibited devotion to the mission of MADD Tennessee through various measures. Because of the leadership of this year’s recipient and his willingness to support and partner with MADD, law enforcement have become more proactive in Walk Like MADD events across the state, Troopers and Cadets have been given additional tools to provide death notifications, and victims will know the compassion of those delivering the worst news possible. The recipient of the 2019 MADD Tennessee Director’s Choice award was Col. Derek Stewart he Tennessee Highway Patrol. Colonel Stewart was unable to attend the event, so Lt. Col. Maerry accepted the award on his behalf.

The evening concluded with these words from Phaedra Marriott-Olsen, “…tonight, for victims, is not only about gathering to share our sense of loss and sadness; it’s also about telling stories from before the crash that make us smile, even laugh. Tonight, as we have gathered, we serve as a reminder to everyone else around the country that people are still being killed or injured by impaired drivers. It’s an epidemic that is 100% preventable. So, tonight is about much more than the past. We also celebrate every individual in this room that is making a difference in the present, and we work together towards a future when there are NO MORE VICTIMS.”

Click here for a full photo album of the event.

Click here for a full photo album of posed photos with our MADD backdrop at the event.