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Medal of Valor Review Board

On January 14, 2002, the Charter for the Medal of Valor Review Board was signed by Attorney General John Ashcroft. As required by the legislation, the eleven-member board was appointed by the President, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the U.S. Senate, and the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The board, which comprises representatives of the public safety community and the general public, reviews the nominations and recommends individuals for recognition.

Medal of Valor Board Members

Board Members Professional Profiles

Michael D. Branham
Medal of Valor Review Board Chairman
Director, Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections
Phoenix, AZ

A 30-year veteran of government, policing and public safety, Mr. Branham previously served as the Executive Director of the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. Mr. Branham has also served as the Assistant City Manager and Chief of Staff for the City of Surprise in Northwestern Maricopa County and as the Police Chief and Public Safety Director for the Town of Youngtown, Arizona. Mr. Branham is a graduate of the University of Phoenix where he also received a Master of Arts in Organizational Development. He is a graduate of the 125th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Tim Bivins (retired)
Sheriff, Lee County IL
Dixon, IL

Mr. Bivins recently retired as the Sheriff of Lee County where he served since 1986 and was Director of the Emergency Services and Disaster Agency for that County. Prior to that he was a police officer and detective with the City of Dixon for 12 years. In 1994 he was appointed by Governor Jim Edgar to the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission and also is a past President of the Illinois Sheriff’s Association. He is a graduate of Brown Institute in Minneapolis, MN, the Police Training Institute University of Illinois and the National Sheriff’s Institute F.B.I. Academy. He has served on a number of boards and commissions dedicated to improving the criminal justice system.

Oliver "Glenn" Boyer
Sheriff, Jefferson County Missouri
Hillsboro, MO

A 33-year veteran of law enforcement, Mr. Boyer began his career with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. He served as a patrol officer for the City of Festus, Missouri prior to his appointment as the Chief of Police of Crystal City, Missouri. In 1992 he was elected Sheriff of Jefferson County, Missouri. He has distinguished himself with many awards including Sheriff of the Year in 1996, is a graduate of the 175th Session of the FBI National Academy and is a member of various professional and community organizations. His military service includes duty in Vietnam, in the United States Army as Military Policeman and in the United States Air Force as a Military Intelligence Specialist.

Kenneth "Chuck" Canterbury
National President, The Fraternal Order of Police
Horry County Police Department
Conway, SC

A 25-year veteran of law enforcement, Mr.Canterbury began his career with the Myrtle Beach Police Department. In his current position with the Horry County Police Department, in Conway, South Carolina his responsibilities include oversight of the Operations Bureau. During his professional career he has held positions in Patrol and Criminal Investigations Divisions, and as a Training Division Supervisor was certified as an instructor in basic law enforcement, firearms, chemical weapons, and pursuit driving. Mr. Canterbury has been involved in The Fraternal Order of Police organization since 1984, in 1995 began serving on its National Board of Directors and in August, 2003 was elected to the office of National President. He has testified before Congress on law enforcement and Fraternal Order of Police issues.

Robert Creighton
United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, (ATF)
Special Agent in Charge, Retired

Mr. Creighton served for 30 years as a Federal law enforcement officer with assignments in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Florida and Washington, D.C. As the Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Explosives Enforcement program, he managed the reorganization of ATF’s National Response teams. In New York and Miami he led complex investigations against major traffickers in explosives, firearms and narcotics. In 1994 he was selected by the Director of ATF to manage the implementation of the Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act. A graduate of the University of Connecticut, he has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors. He is an active member in the Fraternal Order of Police and serves on the boards of organizations that direct their efforts to improve the effectiveness of law enforcement world-wide.

Richard "Smokey" Dyer
Fire Chief, Kansas City, MO

A fire fighter for over 40 years, Mr. Dyer has been the Fire Chief for the Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department since 2000. He is a past president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri at Columbia and earned a Masters degree in Public Service Administration from Central Missouri State University.

William J. Nolan
Deputy Chief, Cook County Sheriff’s Department
Chicago, IL

A retired Chicago police officer, Mr. Nolan is currently the Deputy Chief, Court Services Section of Cook County Sheriff’s Department. He is the immediate past president of Chicago Lodge #7, the largest Lodge in the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and has served on numerous committees for the FOP Lodges on the national, state and local levels dealing with Labor and Finances. A recipient of numerous awards and honors, Mr. Nolan has also lectured at Loyola, Northwestern and Harvard Universities.

William H. Pickle

William H. Pickle was the 37th United States Senate Sergeant at Arms. Mr. Pickle spent 26 years in the United States Secret Service where he served as Deputy Assistant Director for Human Resources and Training, and Special Agent in Charge of the Vice Presidential Protective Division. Immediately prior to serving as U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms, Mr. Pickle served as the Transportation Security Administration's first Federal Security Director. Mr. Pickle attended American University and Metro State College and holds a degree in political science.

Thomas J. Scotto
Detective, New York City Police Department
New York, NY

A member of the New York Police Department (NYPD) since 1965, Mr. Scotto has, since 1986, served as the President of the Detectives' Endowment Association, Inc., the union of NYPD detectives. He is also President of the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) representing over 220,000 law enforcement officers and over 4,000 police associations and holds various positions with local and state boards, conferences and commissions. Mr. Scotto is a graduate of the New York Institute of Technology. He completed the Trade Union program at Harvard University, the Labor 2000 Leadership Program at Cornell University and other advanced studies.

Trevor S. Whipple
Chief of Police for South Burlington
South Burlington, VT

Chief Whipple has spent his entire working life devoted to public service, and in particular as an emergency responder. Early in his career, he was certified as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and worked on a part-time basis in New Hampshire for almost five years. He also served with the East Barre Fire Department; held the positions of dispatcher, patrol officer, juvenile officer, and investigator; and served as the Chief of Police in two Vermont police agencies. He currently serves as Chief of Police for South Burlington—the third largest municipal police department in Vermont. Chief Whipple attended Northeastern University, obtained an Associate's degree from Castleton State College, a Bachelor's degree from Johnson State College, and received his Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Vermont. He also teaches criminal justice, paralegal, and pre-law courses at the Community College of Vermont and Woodbury College.