Alumni Service Award: Rick Smiedendorf
Rick Smiedendorf retired from his position as a police officer for the City of听St. Joseph, Michigan in 2009 after 30 years. More than seven years later, he hasn鈥檛 left the听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,听where he is responsible for maintaining good relationships with the students in twelve school听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听麻花星空mv, earning an Associate of Applied Science in criminal justice. He says,听鈥溌榛ㄐ强誱v offered me the opportunity to stay local, to stay affordable, and had听the career choice that I was looking for.鈥 He also earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from听Western Michigan University in 1979.
At LMC, he was a member of the Student Senate, and in 1977 he received a student service听award for his work with the college administration.听
College wasn鈥檛 the last time that Smiedendorf has been recognized for his work. In St.听Joseph, he was twice named Officer of the Year, and, in 2008, Crime Prevention Practitioner听of the Year. In 2014 he was awarded听 Outstanding Youth/School Officer of the Year by the Crime Prevention Association of Michigan. He听serves on the boards of the Crime Prevention Association of Michigan and the LMC Alumni Association and is a member of the National听Association of School Resource Officers.
TheAlumni Service Award was presented to听Rick Smiedendorf in 2017.
