The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office gathered Thursday afternoon for its 2025 Promotions and Awards Ceremony, celebrating the men and women whose dedication, courage, and compassion continue to shape the safety and strength of the Osceola community.

Led by Sheriff Christopher A. Blackmon, the ceremony recognized deputies, detectives, civilians, supervisors, community partners, and local educators who demonstrated extraordinary professionalism and a deep commitment to protecting and serving residents throughout the year.

The event highlighted a message that echoed through every recognition: the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office is powered by individuals who rise to meet the moment, serve with heart, and place the safety of others above themselves.

Promotions: Honoring Leadership and Advancement

Three members of the agency were formally elevated to new leadership roles:

  • Captain Heith Yeager

  • Lieutenant Alex Bejarano

  • Lieutenant Kristine Mele

Their promotions reflect years of commitment, professional excellence, and continued trust to lead with integrity and vision.

Employees of the Month: Acts of Excellence Across the Agency

Monthly awardees from August through December were honored for their exceptional work, lifesaving actions, innovation, leadership, and unwavering commitment:

August 2025

  • Civilian: Jeannette Santiago

  • Sworn: Deputy Pedro Arroyo — recognized for lifesaving action involving a 4-year-old drowning victim.

September 2025

  • Civilian: Andrea Damas

  • Sworn: Detective Benjamin Maclean — honored for a landmark sexual battery case that resulted in conviction and long-term sanctions.

October 2025

  • Civilian: Elizabeth Almonte-Moreno

  • Sworn: Sergeant Scott Koffinas — improved staff safety through resourcefulness, saving the agency tens of thousands of dollars.

November 2025

  • Civilian: Pamela Cruz-Alvira — honored for transformative workflow innovations in IT.

  • Sworn: Sergeant Edgar Roman — acknowledged for exceptional leadership and community engagement.

December 2025

  • Sworn: Sergeant Jared Fisher — recognized for proactive leadership, key arrests, and strengthening patrol operations.

Employees of the Year: Highest Honors for Extraordinary Impact

  • Sworn Employee of the Year: Detective Benjamin Maclean — celebrated for outstanding investigative work and dedication to victims.

  • Civilian Employee of the Year: Analyst Maritza Rodriguez — honored for managing nearly 20,000 CyberTips with zero backlog and supporting 325 agencies statewide.

Certificates of Appreciation: Recognizing Exceptional Initiative

Certificates of Appreciation were awarded to:

  • Deputy Francis Santaniello & Deputy Hunter Perkins — for saving a missing autistic child from drowning.

  • Deputy Jossue Lorenzo & Deputy Tuesday Webb — for peacefully resolving a high-risk mental health crisis.

  • Lena Seevers — for outstanding organization and support within the Recruiting Unit.

  • Detective Ian Walker — for swift, decisive action ensuring the safety of a domestic violence victim.

Community Service Award

  • Deputy Joshua Diaz was honored for paying in advance for 25 meals to be given to homeless children and adults—an act of compassion that exemplifies the heart of the agency.

Life-Saving Awards

Recognized for life-preserving actions that directly saved the lives of children in two separate critical incidents:

  • Deputies Emmanuel Aponte, Elijah Miller, Kimberly Canot & Luis Morales — for reviving a 2-year-old struck by a vehicle.

  • Deputy Michael Romero-Perez — for saving a 9-year-old boy in cardiac arrest due to anaphylactic shock.

Unit Citations: Commending Team Excellence in Critical Situations

Unit Citations were presented to teams whose actions showcased professionalism, bravery, and service above self, including:

  • Knights Inn response — saving a child’s life, uncovering a homicide, and rescuing five abused children.

  • A statewide fraud investigation team — uncovering hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses across multiple counties.

  • Emergency Response Team deployment to Levy County after Hurricane Helene — assisting devastated communities with vital resources and rescue operations.

  • Special operations, investigative, and patrol teams involved in complex, high-risk incidents and community protection efforts.

Telecommunicators of the Quarter

  • January 2025: Edric Tapia

  • March 2025: Maria Bejarano-Sanchez

Both were celebrated for their calm professionalism, teamwork, and reliability during challenging calls.

Sheriff’s Special Awards: Honoring Extraordinary Bravery and Leadership

Special Awards were presented to:

  • Byron Chica — for intervening during a violent attack at a Kissimmee Walmart.

  • Thomas Dunham, Principal of Harmony Middle School — for supporting school safety training and law enforcement readiness.

  • Jack Carr & Byron Wong — for assisting in stopping a violent student at Zenith High School, preventing further harm.

Back the Blue Recognition

The ceremony also featured a meaningful moment as The Osceola Chamber of Commerce and Rob Rosen, Financial Advisor with Edward Jones, recognized several civilian and sworn team members with challenge coins and gift cards through the Back the Blue program.

Employee of the Month Honorees Recognized

August

  • Jeannette Santiago

  • Deputy Pedro Arroyo

September

  • Detective Benjamin Maclean

  • Andrea Damas

October

  • Sergeant Scott Koffinas

  • Elizabeth Almonte-Moreno

November

  • Pamela Cruz-Alvira

  • Sergeant Edgar Roman

December

  • Sergeant Jared Fisher

Employees of the Year Recognized

  • Detective Benjamin Maclean

  • Analyst Maritza Rodriguez

In addition, Chick-fil-A, Nature’s Table, and Grillers Puerto Rico were publicly thanked for their continued generosity and unwavering support of the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.

Longevity Awards

Team members marking milestone service years—5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years—were also honored for their long-standing dedication to the county and its residents.

A Celebration of Courage, Compassion, and Commitment

The ceremony served as a powerful reminder that protecting and serving Osceola County takes not only skill and training, but heart, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to the community.

Positively Osceola congratulates every honoree and extends deep gratitude to Sheriff Christopher Blackmon and the entire Osceola County Sheriff’s Office for their steadfast dedication to keeping Osceola County safe.

Your service, sacrifice, and passion make a profound difference—every single day.