News and Announcements :: June 8, 2011
As I conclude my two-year tenure as the chair for the Tucson Police Foundation, I want to thank my wife Terry and my family for their unwavering support and help, from the very beginning. Eight years ago when the foundation first began, my wife and my three young sons worked 4th avenue to raise funds to help with the officer Pat Hardesty tragedy. In all of these years and especially the last two, they have assisted me through all the work associated with helping our police department. Today one of my sons is a Tucson Police Officer. He has a wife and two young sons of his own, and is working the night shift in a high-risk area with his fellow officers, doing his best for the people of Tucson.
I want to thank the members of the board of directors for the Tucson Police Foundation for their help and support. I am grateful for the hard work the board put into coordinating with the Tucson Police Department, collaborating with the community and in communicating to me their passion for the safety and welfare of the citizens of Tucson and the officers who work for all of us. This board went above and beyond in working together as a team to raise funds that helped our police officers and our community.
I also want to thank the hard work of our staff, our current Executive Director, Rob LaMaster and his assistant Bonnie Faircloth. I also want to thank the former Executive Director, Mike Feder and his assistant Kathy Arrotta. This group put in the extra time and effort to grow the foundation and our events. These four have been the backbone of the foundation, working daily and tirelessly with the many board committees, the citizen groups, the corporations, businesses large and small in Tucson, the grant agencies, the citizen volunteer committees, the police department, and city administrative and elected officials to help promote a safer Tucson. Our current staff, Rob and Bonnie are a dynamic team and will continue to be of tremendous assistance to our board of directors.
Our executive committee, with Ellen Yacovone, Vice-chair, Amy Hammerstrom, Treasurer, Rick Stertz, Secretary, and Jerry Schuchardt, past chair, all worked many hours beyond normal executive committee duties to help build a successful board and support the work of the Foundation. Our committee chairs and event directors did an outstanding job, especially Jerry who got the dinner started and Ellen and Rick having raised the annual Unsung Heroes Dinner to one of high excellence. I thank you all.
Our general membership, our Friends of the Force, our sponsors, and our local corporate leaders also have my deep appreciation for their timely support for one of the most important foundations in Tucson. In addition, the close cooperation of Chief Roberto Villasenor, Deputy Chief Sharon Allen, Captain Reuben Nunez, Lieutenant Tom Earley, the president of TPOA, Sergeant Larry Lopez, and the members of the Tucson Police Department for their spirit of team work and for their patience in working with me as I transferred from the police world to the civilian world and went through growing pains learning this job. A special thanks goes to those who work so hard on the Hearts of Gold and START programs.
I’m excited about the future of the Tucson Police Foundation. Our board is dynamic and we have added and will continue to add leaders from the community who recognize how important public safety is to the quality of life for those who live, work in or visit Tucson. Our new chair and executive committee and board will take the Tucson Police Foundation to the next level; a foundation highly regarded for the work it is doing and highly respected for how the work is done. The foundation’s work for the community and for the men and women of the Tucson Police Department will never end because of the critical importance of the foundation for our community. Finally, Keith my friend, you made it happen. I am proud to have had an opportunity to work with and for all of you.
Your humble servant,
Rich Harper