Department of Commerce
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
National Marine Fisheries
Service
- Office of Law Enforcement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 2007
CONTACT: |
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Mark Oswell
Stephanie Biscow
301-427-2300 |
NOAA FISHERIES SERVICE OFFICE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT SPECIAL AGENT ALLAN COKER RECEIVES BRONZE MEDAL AWARD
Special Agent Allan Cokerhas been awarded the
prestigious bronze medal from the Department of Commerce. Retired
Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., under secretary
of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator, presented
Coker with the award at a ceremony held at the Daughters of the
American Revolution Hall in Washington, D.C., on May 11, 2007.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of
Law Enforcement (OLE) special agent was honored for his contributions
to relief operations in Slidell , La. , following Hurricanes
Rita and Katrina. Coker helped provide the necessary security and
supplies required to continue weather and flood reporting from
the area's Weather Forecast Office. Coker is one of six OLE agents
who made significant contributions toward the protection of National
Weather Service employees and their families in Slidell .
When
asked about his feelings on receiving the bronze award, Coker stated
that he was "Proud to have taken part in the Katrina recovery
effort."
Coker holds a Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice
Management from Columbus University in New Orleans . He began
his career with NOAA's OLE in 1990 and is currently an agent in
the Southeast Division. Coker was previously honored in 2002 with
NOAA's gold medal for his investigative case into an illegal red
snapper scheme.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, is celebrating 200 years
of science and service to the nation. From the establishment
of the Survey of the Coast in 1807 by Thomas Jefferson to the formation
of the Weather Bureau and the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries in
the 1870s, much of America 's scientific heritage is rooted in
NOAA.
NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national
safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related
events and information service delivery for transportation, and
by providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal
and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation
System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners,
more than 60 countries and the European Commission to develop
a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet
it observes, predicts and protects.
On the Web:
NOAA Fisheries Service: www.nmfs.noaa.gov
NOAA: www.noaa.gov
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