FDLE members recognized for outstanding performance

For Immediate Release
February 28, 2025

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Earlier this week, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) honored members throughout the state for their exceptional performances in 2024.

Agency leaders congratulated the award winners for their key accomplishments, contributions to criminal justice, innovative success and productivity.

“FDLE members are the heartbeat of this agency, and I am honored to recognize their achievements and contributions from this past year,” said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass. Their excellence challenges all members to raise the bar in their commitment to display FDLE’s core values of Service, Integrity, Respect and Quality. These winners, and all our members, are the reason we call FDLE Florida’s premier law enforcement agency.”

Award winners are as follows:

Jose Perez Special Agent of the Year – Inspector Guy Hill, Office of Statewide Investigative Services, Tampa Bay Regional Operations Center
Inspector Guy Hill has worked within the Enforcement and Investigative Support (EIS) Bureau’s Investigative and Enforcement Unit (IEU) with excellence. Working on cases that deal with Florida’s sexual offenders, predators and career offenders is a daunting task that Hill has executed professionally. In 2024, Hill was responsible for generating 71 arrests including 58 sexual offenders, 12 predators and one career offender. Sexual offenses committed against children require a balance of determination and sensitivity. Hill has exemplified those traits specifically in Operation Full Moon and Operation Matchmaker. Hill worked with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida DOC in the 3-day Operation Full Moon. The operation was launched to confirm offenders and predators were complying with Florida’s registration laws. The operation yielded 27 arrests including 20 sexual offenders and seven predators. In Operation Matchmaker, Hill worked with Tampa Police Department and Match.com to identify unreported dating accounts used by sexual offender and predator registrants. Hill worked with investigators to examine more than 1,700 registered email addresses to connect them with more than 100 potential dating accounts.  Hill singlehandedly investigated and arrested 24 targets, charging those with 112 felony registration violations.  The success of these operations has led other law enforcement agencies to express interest in taking on similar initiatives.

Jessie B. Dobson Jr. Distinguished Member of the Year – Erica Gaines, Training and Research Manager, Criminal Justice Professionalism
Erica Gaines has proven to be a valuable and rich resource for the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission. In addition to processing and reviewing hundreds of discipline cases each month, she is responsible for coordinating the CJSTC meetings, adjusting for an ever-changing schedule of cases, keeping track of changes from past meetings and discussions, and overall keeping the Commission members informed and on track. She has helped develop a work environment based on mutual respect and one that works hard and supports and believes in each other no matter the circumstances. She made sure the work got done each and every time; either taking on the extra work herself or helping redistribute the load to help her section continue through hardships of understaffing.

Forensic Scientist of the Year – Arielle Romero, Senior Crime Laboratory Analyst, Orlando Regional Operations Center
Senior Crime Laboratory Analyst Arielle Romero had an exceptional year in 2024, being a primary contributor to the reduction of case backlog and conducting numerous technical reviews of complicated cases. In addition to all of Romero’s training and instrument duties, she still managed to complete a very complex traffic fatality case involving paint analysis from three involved vehicles. She was instrumental in the replacement process for one of the section’s FTIR machines. The most notable contribution Romero has made to the discipline this year has been in the role of Principle Instructor for not one, not two, but THREE paint/polymer trainees. She displays a natural talent when it comes to teaching others about the science of paint analysis.  She has a knack for breaking down complex theories and instrumentation in a way that others can easily understand. Romero accepted these additional training duties well before she was even promoted to Senior, which just occurred this October. Her willingness to take on these added duties reflects her commitment to service to the section and to the future of paint discipline. 

Distinguished Support Member of the Year – Adrienne Trykowski, Senior Management Analyst Supervisor, Criminal Justice Professionalism, Tallahassee Regional Operations Center
Senior Management Analyst Supervisor Adrienne Trykowski has demonstrated exemplary leadership in managing and supporting her team members in the Planning and Support Section within the Criminal Justice Professionalism (CJP) Division. One of her most significant accomplishments was the introduction of an automated phone system for the Professionalism main line, which streamlined communication and improved the division’s efficiency. She continually strives to improve her operational processes and is committed to excellence in everything she does. Her expertise ranges in everything from assisting with hurricane response, training new executive assistants, providing on-site administrative support at CJSTC and MEC quarterly meetings, and volunteering for every Florida Law Enforcement Officers’ Hall of Fame ceremony. Her proactive approach to problem-solving, combined with her ability to consistently deliver outstanding results, makes her an invaluable asset to the team.

Distinguished Team of the Year – FDLE Wellness Section: Sonya Avant, Kay Buzick, Kristen Connell, Rebekah Corley, Peyton Cribbs, Rebecca Gardner, Brandon Hokenson, Julie Johnson, Lee Kuhn, Taylor Luttenton, Elizabeth Martin, Deborah McDonald, Emma Preziosa, and David Staley
The Post Critical Incident Seminar (PCIS) Administrative Team helped organize and prep resources for the PCIS in 2024, run the seminar over the course of 3 days, and organized follow-up contacts with the participants to include 3-, 6-, 9- and 12-month psychological surveys, along with a plethora of administrative tasks. Their labor-intensive workload was met by immense dedication, empathy, and commitment to excellence from every PCIS team member.
 
Outstanding New Member – Drew Safko, Crime Intelligence Analyst I, Office of the Executive Director
In April of 2024, Crime Intelligence Analyst II Safko was selected to be the Intelligence Branch Chief for the Democratic Governors Association Meeting (DGA). During DGA, CIA II Safko, without prompting from Supervision took on a variety of duties outside the scope of work that was originally proposed. These additional duties placed her in a leadership position in the DGA command post and she exceled at all her duties. In August, CIA II Safko volunteered to be PSD’s primary point of contact for their Team Awareness Kit (TAK) server, self-teaching computer programming and server management to support the PSD command staff. Finally, in October 2024, CIA II Safko agreed to be the POC for new software that allows PSD to create two- and three-dimensional models from photographs taken from drones, once again self-teaching herself the relevant skills with no prompting from leadership. CIA II Safko has done this outstanding work while still excelling in her primary job being a crime intelligence analyst within the Protective Intelligence Unit.

Contribution to Criminal Justice – Sworn Training Unit (STU) External Team: Tim Stanley, Peter Soulis, Bradley Hudson, and Ron Gilligan
Inspectors Tim Stanley, Peter Soulis, Bradley Hudson, and Ron Gilligan have enhanced the preparedness and safety of law enforcement officers by providing critical tactical training accessible free of charge to law enforcement agencies across Florida and beyond. In 2024, the Criminal Justice Professionalism Sworn Training Unit (STU) External Team delivered a series of high-impact courses designed to prepare officers for the most dangerous and high-stakes situations. These trainings collectively trained 1,137 officers from 28 different agencies in 2024, providing departments, regardless of financial constraints, access to life-saving training that is essential for high-risk situations. Their work plays a crucial role and a profound difference in the safety and security of Florida’s officers and the public they serve.

Innovation of the Year - FDLE Cyber Crypto Team: Brett Cureton, Corey Monaghan, William Bullough, Mike Moore, Gary Vilano and Madison Tolson
In 2024, the Cyber Crypto Team created an innovative framework – implementing new tools and pioneering strategic partnerships and expertise – to conduct successful cryptocurrency-facilitated criminal investigations. As a result, the team successfully seized over two million dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency. These investigations helped Florida, and non-Florida, citizens recover losses from crypto-facilitated scams. Additionally, law enforcement agencies across the United States are beginning to model their investigative units based on Florida’s success, reinforcing FDLE’s leadership in the national law enforcement community.

Excellence in Leadership – Dana Kelly, Public Relations Manager I, Office of the Executive Director
Public Relations Manager Dana Kelly has proven to be an exceptional mentor and leader in every aspect of her work and embodies all the core values of FDLE. During the 2024 calendar year, Kelly consistently assisted the Public Records Unit while the section has undergone a restructuring transition, despite it being outside of the scope of her position. Over the course of 2024, she has dedicated countless hours discussing strategies and best practices based on her experience and offered guidance on approximately 1,424 records requests in the calendar year.

Capitol Police Officer of the Year – Officer Travis Tharp and K-9 Laya, Capitol Police
Officer Travis Tharp has been with Capitol Police for nine years and has served as a K-9 officer for the past five years. In 2024, Tharp and his K-9 partner Laya made multiple contributions to Capitol Police operations including bomb sweeps of FDLE planes, offices and buildings. Beyond operational successes, Tharp has demonstrated unwavering dedication to fostering positive relationships between law enforcement and the community through conducting public demonstrations as an explosive K-9 handler. He answers the call to service in any situation, which is evident last year when he encountered a disabled vehicle during a severe weather event. He discovered that the driver of the vehicle was injured. Officer Tharp transported the victim to the emergency room where she was treated for her injuries. Not only is he the backbone of the Capitol Police K-9 program, but he also consistently takes on leadership roles among his Capitol Police colleagues which makes the department better.

Commissioner’s Award – Christopher Johnson, Chief of Professional Development, Criminal Justice Professionalism
Chief Christopher Johnson has embodied FDLE’s core values through outstanding leadership and a deep commitment to the growth and success of his team within the Bureau of Professional Development. Johnson’s fostering a positive, supportive and communicative environment for his team demonstrates his respectful approach to his leadership style.  Johnson has dedicated his career to serving the FDLE and law enforcement community through the support and implementation of high-quality training and educational opportunities. Johnson’s commitment to excellence is evident through the success of his division through strategic planning and resource management. Johnson has shown unwavering commitment to fairness and transparency in all his dealings which set him apart as a role model.

Lifetime Achievement – Theresa Adams, Crime Laboratory Analyst Supervisor, Tampa Bay Regional Operations Center (TBROC)
Theresa Adams has dedicated more than 35 years to FDLE and Forensic Services. Adams has worked in numerous disciplines including Toxicology, Seized Drugs, Firearms, Questioned Documents, Trace Evidence, Digital Evidence, Footwear and Tire, and her current disciplines are Evidence Intake and Crime Scene. Adams has held many critical regional and state roles within the Tampa Bay Regional Operations Center (TBROC) including Regional Safety Coordinator, CISM team member and Recruitment Coordinator aside from her Crime Laboratory Analyst Supervisor position. She holds many leadership roles in external associations and programs that focus on criminal justice and forensic science. She is considered a mentor to many forensic professionals over the years and has supported many new supervisors within FDLE through their early days of leadership. Adams’ thoughtful, caring and genuine approach to her work and her colleagues sets the example for the next generation of crime laboratory analysts and supervisors.

For Further Information Contact:
FDLE Office of Public Information
Info@fdle.state.fl.us