WASHINGTON - Jenny Parker, Victim Assistance Specialist, Kyle Edelen, Public Information Officer, and Todd Bradbury, Assistant United States Attorney, all of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Kentucky, were three of 179 members of the Department of Justice recognized by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson at the 33rd Director’s Awards Ceremony today in Washington D.C.
The Eastern District of Kentucky was one of 35 districts represented at the ceremony which was held in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building.
In his prepared remarks, Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein told the awardees: “These 179 award recipients embody the best of the Department of Justice.… Today’s honorees have earned the esteem of their colleagues. But most importantly, you have earned the gratitude of your fellow citizens - whose communities you have made safer, whose lives you have improved, and whose trust you have rewarded. "
The three recipients received the Director’s Award for Superior Performance in Prevention and Reentry Activities for their work to establish, develop, implement and administer the U.S. Attorney’s Heroin Education Action Team (USA HEAT) initiative.
USA HEAT is a critical component of the comprehensive approach of the U.S. Attorney's Office in its continuing efforts to combat the opioid epidemic. The program is a partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and families that have lost loved ones to an opioid overdose. These courageous parents, siblings, and children of overdose victims share their personal stories, providing a stark warning to others and educating communities about the far-reaching and enduring effects of this epidemic. USA HEAT is designed to support the overall effort against the opioid epidemic by educating and increasing community awareness. In conjunction with staff from the U.S. Attorney's Office, these surviving family members deliver a compelling message and are selflessly committed to helping others avoid similar tragedies in their lives. For more information on USA HEAT visit our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-edky/heat.
“The Eastern District of Kentucky's USA HEAT program has been a critical piece to our efforts to fight opioid abuse, has made compelling presentations to thousands of Kentuckians and beyond, and has even been duplicated by other U.S. Attorney's Offices around the country," said Acting United States Attorney Carlton S. Shier, IV. “By any measure, USA HEAT has been a genuine success and real benefit to our community. This prestigious, national recognition of our program is a true credit to the hard work and dedication of these recipients. Without their tireless efforts, our USA HEAT program would not be what it is."
EOUSA provides oversight, general executive assistance, and direction to the 94 United States Attorneys’ offices around the country. For more information on EOUSA and its mission, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
