MEDIA

Congratulations to each of our 2024 Officer of the Year! Officer of the Year is the highest recognition Walden Security Commercial Services Division officers can receive.

How are Officers of the Year selected? Each local branch selects an Officer of the Month for every 150 officers working in the area throughout 2024. This means that some of our larger branches—including Chattanooga—may have more than one Officer of the Month. At the end of the year, the Officer of the Year is selected from the pool of Officer of the Month awardees. They are selected for many reasons, including their handling of specific incidents, their professionalism and dedication throughout the year, and more.
‍

Robert Marcum – 2024 Officer of the Year for Knoxville

Robert joined Walden Security five years ago, after serving as a Prison Guard. In his tenure, Robert has worked at only one site, a steel mill in Knoxville. He started as a gate guard before he was promoted to roving guard and his current role as site supervisor.

All who work with Robert can see the care he takes on the job. Last year, a large number of explosives were found on his site, requiring emergency response and evacuation. Robert made several trips into the blast area to physically evacuate people while setting and securing the perimeter and coordinating with law enforcement.

Darold Turner – 2024 Officer of the Year for Nashville

As a Field Supervisor, Darold travels to multiple posts, ensuring officers have what they need to succeed, training new Field Supervisors, and providing extra coverage as needed. It’s what he loves most about his job—the opportunity to travel and interact with different officers and clients.

And he’s always ready to support accounts across Tennessee and Kentucky as needs arise. It’s one of the reasons he was awarded Officer of the Month in September 2024—his second Officer of the Month award in his 3-year tenure. His professionalism, willingness to sacrifice, and commitment to do the right thing when no one is looking, as one employee at a site he supported observed:

“Over the past couple of weeks, I became acquainted with Darold Turner. While I am certainly not the world’s judge of character, I felt so compelled to tell someone about Darold—and I rarely do this sort of thing. I was amazed by Darold’s professionalism and character. His attention to every detail and activity around the building was evident, but he did it with decency and respect for everyone. His outward character let us all know that he had a job to do and that he took it seriously… His integrity is impeccable, and I imagine he is a role model for your company. I just wanted to say Darold impressed me as one of the finest people I’ve met.”  

Gregory Lindstrom – 2024 Officer of the Year for Dallas

Field Supervisor Gregory Lindstrom has been with us for 5 years. Before that, he was a Chicago police officer for 18 years. He is Officer of the Year for many reasons, including his mentoring of his fellow officers and his handling of high-pressure situations.

In one situation, Greg professionally attempted to de-escalate a situation with a verbally abusive individual. When the individual became physically aggressive and charged him, Greg handled the situation, restraining the individual for 45 minutes until law enforcement arrived. His actions safeguarded the lives of his fellow Walden Security officers and several patrons in the vicinity.

John Russo – 2024 Officer of the Year for Charleston

John has been a great asset and leader since joining our team as a School Security Officer (SSO). He receives constant praise from his school’s faculty and students for his excellent service. He has also been instrumental in developing and instructing our Active Shooter training and routinely volunteers to help train other SSOs in active threat situations/scenarios.

He is an Army veteran who served a year in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. He holds the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal and Army Good Conduct Medal.

His list of commendations continues from his tenure as a SWAT Officer. He received the Unit Citation Award for his role in arresting a potential school shooter. John and his fellow SWAT officers arrested the student on their way to school. Ammo was found in their backpack.

Thomas Jankowski – 2024 Officer of the Year for Chattanooga

This year, we have the privilege of honoring Security Officer Thomas Jankowski for two major milestones. He is Officer of the Year and is celebrating his 20-year tenure milestone with Walden Security!

Thomas is a reliable, dedicated officer deserving of the Officer of the Year recognition. In one incident at his site, he noticed a brush fire. He used a fire extinguisher, and once the extinguisher was empty, he improvised and put a trash can over it to ensure the smolders did not light again. How the fire started is a mystery, but Thomas’s quick reaction and handling ensure the safety of his site.

“I enjoy what I do immensely,” expressed Thomas. “Being a security officer is a noble profession, where you are responsible for taking care of and protecting people and property.”

Aron Puryear – 2024 Officer of the Year for Greenville

Aron joined the Walden Security team in 2020 as a Security Officer before becoming Lead Officer and Site Supervisor, where he currently supervises 15 officers across 3 shifts. He is Officer of the Year for 3 reasons noted below:  

• His work during an annual government audit at his site to ensure the security of its supply chain. During the audit, each officer was tested on their protocol training and, together, they scored 94.3 out of 98.
• His work stopping a trespasser, which also included him answering questions from a judge on the repeated breach of a trespass notice.
• He is a supportive leader, who encourages and supports his officers to thrive.

Aron is a 5-year veteran of the Navy, where he served as a Gunner’s Mate, Head of Platoon, and leader of the Drill Team, where he performed at over 200 funerals and the Presidential Inauguration.  

Reginald Jones – 2024 Officer of the Year for Charlotte

Reginald is an 8-year Army veteran who takes pride in his work and always gives 120%. And it shows. As a self-proclaimed extrovert and people person, Reginald's favorite part of his job is interacting with the 400-500 people who visit the clinic he is posted at daily.

“You must have compassion and be kind. People are fighting for their lives when they come here,” said Reginald. “I love my job and am appreciative of the opportunity to work where I can be there for people and hopefully put a smile on their face.”

One small way he achieves that is by giving every child who visits the clinic a lollipop and always having water and candy for patients with low blood sugar while waiting for their ride.

Tony Barnes – 2024 Officer of the Year for Atlanta

Officer Tony Barnes shows an outstanding commitment to service. His compassion for helping others, no matter how big or small the situation, demonstrates the true spirit of community.

Tony received recognition from his site for his compassionate intervention that may have saved a life. One day, a distressed individual entered his site. Affectionately known as “Mr. Tony,” Tony sat with them and, through their conversation, reignited a memory of joy and purpose from the individual’s past as a track athlete. Not only were Tony’s words encouraging, but he also gave the individual a new pair of shoes (shoes provided by his site). His parting words were, “Put on your running shoes, because you are a winner in life.” The individual left with a smile, and the client was deeply moved by witnessing Tony’s compassion.