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Rick Smiedendorf retired from his position as a police officer for the City of��St. Joseph, Michigan in 2009 after 30 years. More than seven years later, he hasn’t left the��profession, which he refers to as not just a job, but his vocation. He is currently the school/community resource officer for the Berrien Springs/Oronoko Township Police Department,��where he is responsible for maintaining good relationships with the students in twelve school��buildings, totaling 3,000 students and teachers, as well as various community groups.

Smiedendorf decided to become a police officer when he was in seventh grade. He attended���黨�ǿ�mv, earning an Associate of Applied Science in criminal justice. He says,��“�黨�ǿ�mv offered me the opportunity to stay local, to stay affordable, and had��the career choice that I was looking for.” He also earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from��Western Michigan University in 1979.

At LMC, he was a member of the Student Senate, and in 1977 he received a student service��award for his work with the college administration.��

College wasn’t the last time that Smiedendorf has been recognized for his work. In St.��Joseph, he was twice named Officer of the Year, and, in 2008, Crime Prevention Practitioner��of the Year. In 2014 he was awarded�� Outstanding Youth/School Officer of the Year by the Crime Prevention Association of Michigan. He��serves on the boards of the Crime Prevention Association of Michigan and the LMC Alumni Association and is a member of the National��Association of School Resource Officers.

TheAlumni Service Award was presented to��Rick Smiedendorf in 2017.