Award is the highest honor state bestows on its public servants
SACRAMENTO, CA – The State of California honored 33 state employees with the Governor’s State Employee Medal of Valor Award (Medal of Valor Award) for acts of heroism. The Medal of Valor Award is the highest honor the state can bestow upon its employees, given on behalf of Governor Gavin Newsom.
“These individuals are heroes, not because they sought out glory, or even recognition, but because they acted without hesitation when the time for action and calling came,” said Governor Newsom, who recorded a video address for the ceremony. “I thank these individuals for their extraordinary actions and for the crucial work they do, day in and day out, to support and protect and serve everyone in our state.”
Actions taken by this year’s recipients include saving countless lives during fires across the state; communicating with suicidal individuals until help could arrive preventing tragedy; talking down an armed trespasser; and rescuing people from burning vehicles and an airplane crash.
Recipients of the distinguished 2022 Medal of Valor awards, the level of their award and their employing department are as follows:
- Heriberto Mora, Silver, CDCR
- Mayra Mora, Silver, CDCR
- John Bradley, Silver, CDCR
- Ryan Wallace, Gold, CAL FIRE
- Tom Crass, Gold, CAL FIRE
- Tyler Williams, Gold, CAL FIRE
- Omar Desiderio, Gold, CAL FIRE
- Robert Rubalcava, Gold, CAL FIRE
- Alfonso Moreno, Silver, CAL FIRE
- Barbara Loescher, Silver, CAL FIRE
- Eric Ayers, Gold, CAL FIRE
- Jared Gotro, Silver, CAL FIRE
- Martin Newman, Gold, CAL FIRE
- Cory Souza, Silver, CAL FIRE
- Michael Berry, Gold, CHP
- Jeff Edgerton, Gold, CHP
- Jeff Hatcher, Gold, CHP
- Eric Pohrman, Gold, CHP
- Erik Mallory, Gold, CHP
- Steve Weyand, Gold, CHP
- Patrick Bourassa, Gold, CHP
- John Gallemore, Gold, CHP
- Wesley Barnes, Gold, CHP
- Verna Mondell, Gold, CHP
- James Burkhouse, Silver, Caltrans
- Matthew Pina, Silver, Caltrans
- Ryan Aguirre, Silver, Caltrans
- Travis Sutton, Silver, Caltrans
- Abby LeCureux, Silver, Department of Consumer Affairs
- Camille Morgan, Silver, Department of Industrial Relations
- Cristi Valencia, Silver, Department of Industrial Relations
- Karla Castro, Silver, Department of Industrial Relations
- Jason Schilling, Gold, California Military Department
The Medal of Valor Award is sponsored by the California Department of Human Resources. Award nominations are made by the employee’s department, reviewed by the statewide Merit Award Board, and selected by the Director of CalHR. Since the program began in 1959, over 700 state employees have received Medals of Valor.
The award comes in two distinctions: the Special Service Award (Silver) for an act of heroism by a state employee extending above and beyond the normal call of duty or service performed at personal risk to his or her safety to save human life or state property and the Special Act Award (Gold) for an extraordinary act of heroism by a state employee extending far above and beyond the normal call of duty or service, performed at great risk to his or her own life in an effort to save human life.
The Medal of Valor Awards were presented virtually to the recipients. Government Operations Agency Secretary Amy Tong introduced the agency secretaries who honored recipients by telling their brave acts of heroism. Medals were presented to the 33 individuals across six state agencies on behalf of Governor Gavin Newsom. Agency secretaries include Kathleen Allison, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; Wade Crowfoot, Natural Resources Agency; Toks Omishakin, Transportation Agency; Natalie Palugyai, California Labor & Workforce Development Agency; Lourdes M. Castro Ramirez, Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency; and Major General Matthew Beevers, Deputy Adjutant General, California Military Department.
To view the award ceremony, you can visit CalHR’s YouTube page. For more information about the award, visit the Medal of Valor website. Details of each recipient’s award will be posted to the website after the ceremony.
About CalHR
CalHR is responsible for all issues related to employee salaries and benefits, job classifications, civil rights, training, exams, recruitment and retention. For most employees, many of these matters are determined through the collective bargaining process managed by CalHR.
CalHR was created on July 1, 2012, by Governor Brown’s Reorganization Plan Number 1 of 2011. The reorganization plan consolidated the State of California’s two personnel departments, combining the Department of Personnel Administration with certain programs of the State Personnel Board. For more information about CalHR, please visit our website.