INDIANA – The Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council honored several people during its Winter Conference Awards Ceremony this past week, including victim advocates, law enforcement officers, investigators, legislators, and outgoing prosecutors. Overall, 14 individuals were celebrated and recognized during the ceremony for their long, successful careers or outstanding accomplishments during 2022.
Chris Naylor, IPAC Executive Director, mentioned that there were an incredible number of deserving nominees this year which led to multiple winners in multiple categories. The highlights of the evening were the Powell – Feller and the Stephen J. Johnson awards. The Powell – Feller award is the highest award handed out by the Association of Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys, Inc. and has been given out to prosecutors, judges, attorneys general, and governors over the years. This year, the award was given to Dustin Houchin, the longtime Washington County Prosecutor who was recently elected judge in Washington County. Houchin was intimately involved with IPAC during his tenure as a prosecutor, serving on the IPAC Board of Directors, chairing the Legislative Committee, and working as faculty at several IPAC training and conferences.
“Keep fighting the good fight,” Houchin told the room of over 200 people. “Keep fighting for justice.”
The Stephen J. Johnson award, named after former IPAC Executive Director Stephen Johnson, is given to Indiana prosecutors who have provided exemplary service during their careers. IPAC handed out two Johnson Awards this year to recognize two different prosecutors who are leaving the arena. The first winner was former Monroe County Deputy Prosecutor David Gohn, who just recently retired from prosecution after 32 years of service. His boss, Monroe County Prosecutor Erika Oliphant said her office was already feeling the void left by Gohn.
Outgoing Hamilton County Prosecutor Lee Buckingham was also awarded with a Johnson Award at the ceremony. Buckingham has been the Hamilton County Prosecutor since 2011 and was a Deputy Prosecutor prior to that. He is also very involved with IPAC boards and training.
“This is an extremely high honor for me,” Buckingham said after receiving the award. “Steve Johnson was a great man and a great lawyer and it’s humbling to get this award that bears his name.”
The IPAC Board of Directors also handed out four Legislative Excellence Awards for 2022. The winners were Representative Sharon Negele, R-Attica, Representative Wendy McNamara, R-Evansville, Senator Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores, and Senator Mike Crider, R-Greenfield. The four lawmakers were all selected for their work on legislation during the 2022 session that helped rape and human trafficking victims, as well as child sexual abuse survivors.
IPAC has two different awards for law enforcement officers in Indiana. One for officers who showed exemplary service during the calendar year and one for officers or investigators who have shown dedication to law enforcement for the entirety of their career. IPAC handed out two Law Enforcement Officer of the Year awards this year.
One to Detective Andrew Rushing from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and one to Officer Tyler McKeon of the Anderson Police Department. Rushing was instrumental in helping investigate a very awful child murder case in Monroe County. His nominator, Erika Oliphant of Monroe County, said he went above and beyond to bring justice to that case. McKeon was credited with saving a woman’s life when he arrived on the scene of a car crash this year and applied a life-saving tourniquet to her arm, saving her from fatal injuries.
The second law enforcement award is the Law Enforcement Distinguished Service Award, created to celebrate law enforcement officers who have had lengthy careers working with prosecutor offices. Two of these awards were handed out this year as well. Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings nominated and introduced outgoing Madison County Sheriff Scott Mellinger for his long and successful career. Cummings praised Mellinger for having the right personality and leadership skills for his profession. Then, Posey County Prosecutor Thomas Clowers gave the award to Kenny Rose, a long-time investigator in his office who has reached ‘legendary’ status in his county.
The awards ceremony also honored office staff workers in prosecutor offices who have shown exemplary dedication to public safety. As IPAC Executive Director Chris Naylor told the crowd, “without the crucial office staff who handle the day-to-day operations of the office, prosecutors would be unable to do their jobs.”
Two office administrators were recognized for their long service. Phyllis Schwegman from the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office and Ann Gramling, an IPAC staffer, were both given IPAC’s Kathy Falkner Richey Award for outstanding service as office staff. Gramling, who is retiring after 25 years at IPAC, will also have her name added to the Falkner Richey Award in the future.
And Madison County’s Director of Victim Resources, Betsy Baxter, was honored as the 2022 Victim Advocate of the Year. Baxter was lauded for her help with victims in the Madison County office as they try to navigate the oftentimes complex criminal justice realm.
“The IPAC awards ceremony is a chance for us to say thank you to prosecutors, staff, and others who have been allies for prosecutors over the years,” Chris Naylor said. “All of these winners deserve their moment in the spotlight for all of their hard work.”
