Derez McClure

The Larry Lindsey Award is presented every year at the annual APCO-MS Chapter Conference, to recognize a telecommunicator for they’re above and beyond service to the public, and to strive for greater achievements as a telecommunicator. This award acknowledges exemplary professional conduct, ability, and overall contribution to the field of Public Safety.

This year winner of the award is Derez McClure from Jackson Municipal Airport Authority. Derez began his career at the airport in December of 1999. His official title was Airport Messenger; he answered to everyone with a need and knew exactly where to go when called upon. It was later that year he transferred to the position of Certified Communications Officer with the Jackson Airport Police Department.

From day one as a Communications Officer, Derez has proven he is a call taker, radio dispatcher, repairman, camera manager, and film editor, computer programmer all rolled into one. It is hard to describe what he would consider above and beyond the call of duty, as Derez doesn’t draw a line around his mission statement. He is there in the middle of the night talking the lady driving to the airport across the dark and lonely miles to the interstate that she is hopelessly lost on, He is there as a teacher and friend when the school children come to the airport to see all the responsibilities we have to achieve on a daily basis. When you need someone to drop what they are doing and shift gears to address a new and immediate need he is they’re already thinking about what needs to be done. Looking out for others Derez reprogrammed the old mobile command unit radios and drove with the guys who delivered it to our neighbor who needed them so badly, just to make sure it got there safely and they knew how to use them.

Every time you would praise Derez for a job well done or try to give him an award or just give him a compliment you can always hear him say, Thanks but I am just doing my job. This confirms for his dedication to the field of Public Safety how good we got it as long as we have Derez “Airport 80” McClure.

The Larry Lindsey Award is presented to the dispatcher that goes above and beyond the call of duty to help serve the public in any type of emergency they may have. This is why Derez colleagues from the Jackson Municipal Airport nominated him for this award. This confirms what we all know and admire about Derez is his compassion and dedication he gives his co-workers, and his community. So we honor him with the Larry Lindsey Award Dispatcher of the Year 2008.