Location: Sheriff's Headquarters, 833 S. Akers St., Visalia

Incident Date: 3/27/18

Incident Time: 0900 hours

City: Visalia

Posted by: Media Relations

Employee Recognition Awards

Sheriff recognizes outstanding employees


On March 27, Sheriff Mike Boudreaux recognized the most recent recipients of the Sheriff’s Employee Recognition Awards. Friends and family members as well as Sheriff’s staff and members of the public were in attendance.

Sheriff Boudreaux said that the Tulare County Sheriff's Office is the best law enforcement agency in the country.

"We have some of the best in the business," he said. "There is no task they cannot overcome."

Those who were honored included:
Detective Jose Nevarez for finding a chronic runaway girl and arresting her boyfriend who was on the Sheriff’s Top 10.


Detective Jessica Vieyra for maintaining a high number of case closures including rapes and domestic violence cases and other cases;


Detective Randy Gunderman for rescuing a driver trapped in a vehicle that was about to catch fire following a crash;


Deputy Rick Gunderman for his continuous performance above expectation in inmate transport and for his flexibility and dedication to the Detentions Division;


Deputy Joshua Lowry for his quick response and for securing victims in a family disturbance with an armed suspect;


Deputy Brent Worley and Deputy Tyrell Cleaves for saving an inmate in a holding cell at the courthouse who tried to commit suicide;


Supervisor Tamara Pinon and Supervisor Dian McKinzie for making the Sheriff’s Engraving Shop an industry model for excellence among law enforcement agencies.

Additionally, Sheriff Boudreaux presented Commendation Letters to: Captain Rob Schimpf, Deputy Ron Crouch, Corporal Gracie Johnson, Corporal Ixchel Franks, Public Information Officer Teresa Douglass and Community Laison Liz Jones. They were all members of the Employee Public Relations Unit which put on the Grand Opening for the new headquarters at 833 S. Akers St., Visalia, on Dec. 6, 2018. More than 600 people attended the event which included a Sheriff's Pathways Scholarship presentation and Junior Explorer bike giveaway.