2022 DPS Award Recipients

Community Service Commendation

Cally Jennett

Insurance and Claims Manager, Risk Management

Nominated by: Susie Johnson, Director or Risk Management

Cally Jennett worked to enhance safety on ISU property and provided exceptional service to ISU community members, particularly self-supporting and auxiliary units that provide space for third parties (visitors). Cally used her subject-matter expertise and excellent problem-solving and people skills to create, offer, and communicate solutions. This included leading and coordinating the creation of a three-tier risk assessment guide and revising contracting requirements in collaboration with University Counsel. Her nominator shared, “While change is not always easy nor well-received, building and maintaining mutually respectful and positive community relationships can go a long way toward successfully implementing new programs and processes. Cally Jennett does the work to ensure consistently exceptional relationships with ISU community members -by being transparent, listening to understand, speaking respectfully, working toward consensus, and always looking for solutions.”

Excellent Service Commendation

Officers Kaitlyn Boor and Tanner Hanson demonstrated unselfish, undeterred, and exceptional attitudes during the 2022 calendar training year. As training officers, Boor and Hanson performed their duties in an exemplary and highly professional manner. Their superb leadership and unique training styles coupled with their passion for officer development were directly responsible for the successful completion of the Police Training Officer program for many new officers. Boor and Hanson worked back-to-back trainees throughout the year with little to no break and no complaints. Their nominator shared, “Boor and Hanson’s exhaustive and continuous pursuits of training excellence in an effort to ensure the future of the department's operations is a credit to themselves and the agency.”

Excellent Service Commendation

Brandy Cunningham

Youth & Volunteer Programs Manager, Risk Management

Nominated by: Susie Johnson, Director or Risk Management

Brandy Cunningham completed the integration of a campus-wide motor vehicle record (MVR) request process and online system in 2022. Effective as of January 2022, drivers of ISU vehicles were required to have an annual approved motor vehicle record (MVR) check on file. This was a significant change in how university fleet safety policy is operationalized and increased the workload for Brandy and her team, as it coincided with Risk Management assuming responsibility for processing all ISU MVR checks. Brandy was also instrumental in the creation of a new MVR appeal process that streamlined submissions and led to a higher level of communication between parties. Her nominator shared, “Accurately and efficiently maintaining records of approved drivers for ISU vehicles is crucial to positively impacting the university’s financial, physical and reputational well-being and enhancing the safety, personal security, and campus access of services for students, faculty, and staff.”

Meritorious Service Commendation

Frankie Contreras

Officer, ISU Police Department

Nominated by: Lieutenant Andrew Chapman, ISU Police Dept.

Officer Frankie Contreras has shown outstanding service and commitment to his community and agency throughout the calendar year of 2022. During this year, Contreras demonstrated effective patrol work in observing, investigating and ultimately removing a number of illegally-possessed firearms and dangerous weapons. Contreras' work was instrumental in assisting our local partner agencies with intelligence regarding local gang. drug sale activity, and assisted in their clearance of multiple open cases, including information in an attempted homicide case. His nominator praised “Contreras is a credit to himself and his agency and the removal of the firearms has had an immeasurable effect on the community.”

Meritorious Service Commendation

Kami Feld

Detective, ISU Police Department

Nominated by: Lieutenant Jason Rieder, ISU Police Dept.

Detective Kami Feld has been actively investigating cases and assisting partner agencies with a number of complex investigations related to the sexual exploitation of children. These cases have not only been highly technical with the need for great attention to detail and perseverance with regards to evidence collection, but they also require a high degree of emotional investment and tenacity from the investigator. Her nominator commended Feld’s work by sharing, “Detective Feld's professionalism and superior work quality throughout these cases have attracted praise from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors. Her work on these cases also continues to bring positive recognition to the Iowa State University Police Department through media exposure and relationship-building with fellow agencies. Detective Feld’s work has led to numerous felony charges against individuals targeting children.”