Arlington Police Department celebrates achievements, honors officers
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he Arlington Police Department celebrated achievements at its annual awards ceremony last month. The annual celebration is sponsored by the Arlington Police Foundation and the John V. and Jeri McMillan Memorial Fund. Two citizen-business awards were presented and honors were bestowed on 12 civilian employees and officers whose outstanding service contributed to a great year in 2017. KDFW Fox 4 News Anchor Clarice Tinsley served as the emcee as close to 750 guests were on hand for the department’s Honor Guard Presentation of Colors and a performance by the Arlington High School Jazz Band. Arlington Police Chief Will Johnson highlighted some of the department’s more notable accomplishments from 2017, including the success of National Night Out, growth of adolescent
mentoring programs and top honors in a national Community Policing in Action Photo Competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice. Other highlights included partnerships with the business community, responses to natural disasters, and extraordinary police work. “This is always one of the best days of the year for me as Police Chief,” said Chief Johnson. “Honoring the men and women who make Arlington a better place through outstanding and excellent service to our community is what makes this the best department in the nation.” Among those who were presented awards during the ceremony were: • Business Partnership Award – Tarrant County MHMR • Citizens Community Award – Diane Kiel
The entrepreneurial spirit was alive and well at UTA festival of ideas
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earview mirrors are good for driving cars, says Chris Christian, co-owner of the Dallas Wings WNBA team. “But they aren’t good for careers.” Christian, who before venturing into sports was a successful songwriter, offered that notion during The University of Texas at Arlington College of Liberal Arts’ recent Festival of Ideas. Christian was one of several speakers who captivated the crowd, which included students from UTA, the Arlington Independent School District and International Leadership of Texas, as well as faculty, staff and community members. The 2018 Festival of Ideas centered on entrepreneurship and innovation, with a keen focus on how liberal arts majors are wellpositioned to succeed at both. The annual event is made possible by contributions from alumnus Mustaque Ahmed. An endowment from Ahmed, a 1981 graduate of UTA, created the College of Liberal Arts’ Festival of Ideas Global Institute. Ahmed’s goal was to create an outlet for students and the community to explore cultural and academic ideas together. This year’s festival explored the global link to entrepreneurship. “I have been fortunate to have been in the College of Liberal Arts for more than 30 years and I can bear witness that it does
• Detective of the Year – Ben Lopez • Community Support Officer of the Year – Thomas McLeod • Operations Officer of the Year – David Hinson • Professional Employee of the Year/Administrative – Tammy Thomas • Professional Employee of the Year/Exempt or Technical – Detention Officer Michael Harris • Rookie Officer of the Year – Caleb Elliott • East District Officer of the Year – Robert Phillips • North District Officer of the Year – Dontrayevous Robinson • South District Officer of the Year – Shelly Bateman • West District Officer of the Year – Tom Pfefferkorn • Supervisor of the Year – Sergeant Kris Caldwell • Overall Employee of the Year – Trevor Clenney
The UTA College of Liberal Arts’ Festival of Ideas drew students from UTA, the Arlington Independent School District and International Leadership of Texas.
not take a business degree to become a successful business owner,” said Elisabeth Cawthon, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. “Conversely, everyone who has earned a degree in business will not necessarily have all of the tools required to maintain a successful business.” UTA is an exceedingly healthy starting ground for entrepreneurs and innovators. Over the past five years, UTA faculty have received more than 100 patents. About 60 faculty and students are working on start-up businesses, with more than 20 companies currently developing around UTA. Speakers reminded the crowd that believing in what one does and being motivated by one’s cause is an important factor in success. “The phrase find your passion may seem overused but it should not be underestimated in entrepreneurship,” Cawthon said. “It is even better if your passion becomes the solution to someone else’s problem. We aren’t all going to save the world, but some of these future entrepreneurs just may.” arlingtontoday.com • March 2018 • ARLINGTON TODAY
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