WASHINGTON – Two U.S. Secret Service individuals and 21 employees with the Safety, Health and Environmental Programs Division (SAF) were recipients of the 2020 Department of Homeland Security Secretary’s Awards.
Special Agent Roy Dotson Jr. received the Secretary’s Exceptional Service Gold Medal. As an Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service's Orlando Field Office, Dotson Jr. detected and alerted the United States to a vast transnational cyber-criminal conspiracy attempting to defraud the nation of billions in funding intended to blunt the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of his exceptional service, over one billion dollars in defrauded assets has been returned to state agencies through coordinated actions with over 30,000 U.S. financial institutions and hundreds of law enforcement partners. His actions are a positive reflection of the Department of Homeland Security and a significant achievement in improving the security of our homeland through countering transnational organized crime and safeguarding the U.S. financial systems in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Investigative Protection Officer Brittany Orr received the Secretary’s Award for Exemplary Service. IPO Orr leveraged her career experiences to develop protocols and leveraged technology to ensure mission continuity and seamless crisis management operations at the President's secondary residence in New York. These protocols provide accurate and timely information to enhance situational awareness during emergencies.
The 2020 Secretary’s Award for Exemplary Service is granted to employees who have achieved outstanding performance in all aspects of their work, warranting special commendation. Employees in administrative, technical, clerical, and general support positions throughout the agency are critical to meeting the department’s goals. This award provides an opportunity to honor these employees whose deeds often go unrecognized.
The Safety, Health and Environmental Programs (SAF) division of the U.S. Secret Service received the Secretary's Award for COVID-19 Pandemic Heroism. SAF demonstrated exceptional and dedicated work in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The SAF team worked tirelessly under extreme circumstances to provide a safer workforce environment in support of the Secret Service's mission. The SAF Team led the way in establishing and preparing a new, innovative, and robust COVID-19 testing process for the United States Secret Service.
The 2020 Secretary’s COVID-19 Pandemic Heroism Award was created to recognize exceptional and dedicated work and selfless response in the face of this deadly and perilous coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that erupted around the world and in this nation.
To learn more about the 2020 DHS Secretary’s Awards, visit https://www.dhs.gov/2020-secretarys-awards.