Congratulations to our 2024 Public Safety Award Winners:
-Emergency Management Professional of the Year Clint Knox
– Emergency Medic of the Year Brandi Hines
– Firefighter of the Year Battalion Chief Tracey Johnson
-Police Officer of the Year Officer Chase Bridges
– Communications Operator of the Year Haley Bowins, Katie Whaley, Kelsie Workman
– Dispatcher of the Year Communications Officer Kamiya Renae Gray
– Corrections Deputy of the Year Ja’Taurean Moore
-Sheriff’s Deputy of the Year Kendrez Richardson
Noah Galloway, the guest speaker at the 2nd Annual Valor Awards presented by the Opelika Chamber of Commerce is na Army veteran, purple heart recipient, motivational speaker and extreme sports enthusiast. Galloway spoke of Dec. 19, 2025 — the night he was injured in Iraq. He said that his Lieutenant woke him up to tell him that a group was taking Humvee to go pick up some other soilders. Galloway said he decided to go with them. “I jumped up. I said, ‘No, sir, if you go, I go.’” he said. “I said, ‘If y’all go and something bad happens, I will never forgive myself.” Galloway said he saw the trip wire right before the tires of the vehicle hit it. When he woke up six days later his mother was there at the hospital and told him of his injuries. He lost his left arm and leg, and suffered severe injuries to his right arm and leg. Galloway spoke on what it means to work hard to overcome struggles and offered encouragement on being physically fit. As he put it, there are “no excuses!” Sponsors of the event were: Presenting Sponsor, Glynn Smith Chevrolet-GMC; Gold Sponsors: Jackson Services, East Alabama Health and OCV Apps; Award Sponsor, H&S Commercial & Industrial Supplies & Service LLC; and the Speaker Sponsors: Apex Pest Solutions, Agricola Law and Leslie Winter with Country Financial. The dinner was hosted at The Southerly Warehouse and food was provided by Texas Roadhouse. Auburn Productions handled the audio-visual logistics.
For more photographs from the event visit the Opelika Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/@opelika.chamber
