KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office celebrated the extraordinary dedication of its deputies, civilian employees, telecommunicators, and community partners Wednesday afternoon during its Annual Awards and Recognition Ceremony, honoring those whose commitment and selfless service have made a lasting impact on both the agency and the residents of Osceola County.
Positively Osceola attended the ceremony, where a full room of Sheriff’s Office personnel, family members, elected officials, and community supporters gathered to recognize employees whose professionalism, leadership, courage, compassion, and teamwork represent the very best of public service.
Hosted by Captain Ivan Molina, the ceremony featured remarks from Sheriff Christopher A. Blackmon, who thanked the award recipients for their unwavering commitment to protecting and serving the community while strengthening the Sheriff’s Office through their daily work and extraordinary actions.
One of the afternoon’s most heartfelt moments came as Deputy Alyssa Wolnik received the prestigious July M. Rivers Character Award, only the third time the honor has been presented since its creation in 2010. Wolnik was recognized for opening her home to one of her students after the child entered foster care, providing stability, mentorship, and a brighter future. The student, Aaliyah Shaw, was also honored with the Youth Leadership Excellence Award for her resilience, leadership, academic achievements, and volunteer service.
The ceremony also recognized deputies whose quick actions saved lives, supervisors whose leadership guided personnel through critical incidents, employees whose innovation strengthened agency operations, and numerous teams whose collaboration exemplified the Sheriff’s Office’s mission of excellence.
2026 Award Recipients
Employee of the Month — April 2026
- Sworn Employee: Sergeant Brandy Smith
- Civilian Employee: Grace Eisenhart
Employee of the Month — May 2026
- Sworn Employee: Deputy Michael Heller
- Civilian Employee: Kara Liebknecht
Employee of the Month — June 2026
- Sworn Employee: Deputy Alyssa Wolnik
- Civilian Employee: Kourtne Griffin
Special Recognition Awards
- July M. Rivers Character Award: Deputy Alyssa Wolnik
- Youth Leadership Excellence Award: Aaliyah Shaw
- Distinguished Service Award: Sergeant John Rios
- Telecommunicator of the Quarter: Supervisor Christi Mullis
Life Saving Award
- Deputy Xavier Rivera
- Deputy Jose Quinones
- Kirk McDonald
- Eddie Ramos
Certificates of Appreciation
Promotional Testing Support
- Stephanie Davis
- Melissa Evans
- Stephanie Koffinas
Communications Support
- Supervisor Andy Justesen
- Noel Ebanks
- Daniel Almonte
Unit Citation — Platoon B Central Squad
| Deputy Gumersindo Alvarez | Deputy Michael Hanlon |
| Deputy Bradley Bartlett | Deputy Christian Monetti |
| Deputy Tyler Lavigne | Deputy Steven Quijano-Baez |
| Deputy Edel Osorio-Delgado | Deputy Brandon Zachary |
| Deputy Maykol Alvarez |
Unit Citation — Digital Media Team
- Diego Agreda
- Andrea Damas-Neris
Unit Citation — Delta Platoon
| Deputy Ashley Barr | Deputy Franklin Peralta |
| Deputy Gregory Mitchem | Deputy Tamra Spinelli |
| Deputy Carlos Roman | Sergeant Daryl Cunningham |
| Deputy David Cedano-Mauricio | Sergeant John Rios |
| Deputy Michael Morakis | Deputy Ian Tirado-Montes |
| Deputy Clint Schroeder | Deputy Andrea Durango |
| Deputy John Cox | Pilot Aaron Young |
| Lieutenant Billy Ostrander | Deputy Kevin Figueroa |
| Deputy Leonardo Silva | Deputy Tyler Young |
| Deputy David Crawford | Pilot George Freeman |
| Deputy Josef Pavon | TFO Miguel Irizarry |
| Deputy Brandon Soto | Deputy Collin Kun |
| Deputy Jeremy Cruz | Bianca Meyer |
Back the Blue Program Recognition
- John Newstreet
- Rob Rosen
Community Partner Recognition
- Nature’s Table: Dave and Anne Hasselberger
Longevity Awards
The Sheriff’s Office also recognized employees celebrating milestones of:
- 5 Years of Service
- 10 Years of Service
- 15 Years of Service
- 20 Years of Service
- 30 Years of Service
- 35 Years of Service
The annual ceremony concluded with congratulations to all of the recipients, whose dedication, professionalism, and willingness to serve above and beyond the call of duty continue to strengthen the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and the community it proudly serves.
