By Keysha Drexel
Journal editor
The Rotary Club of Vestavia Hills recently honored several city employees for their service to the community.
The club’s annual awards ceremony for Police Officer of the Year, Firefighter of the Year and Civic Employee of the Year was held Oct. 24.
Vestavia Hills Police Chief Dan Rary was on hand to present the 2014 Police Officer of the Year award to Corey Allen Sarvant.
Sarvant began his career with the Vestavia Hills Police Department on the last day of 2012 and completed his basic training on April 4, 2013.
Since that time, Rary said, Sarvant has distinguished himself within the department as a man of admirable character, professionalism and work ethic.
Sarvant has accumulated more than 205 hours of in-service training, including basic SWAT training with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and two courses on dealing with street drugs with the Regional Counterdrug Training Academy.
Vestavia Hills Fire Chief Jim St. John presented the 2014 Firefighter of the Year award to Alan Strickland.
Strickland started his career in 1989 as a volunteer with the Forestdale Fire District and became a paid member of the Forestdale department in 1993. In 1995, he went to work for the Cahaba Heights Fire District and worked there until the district was annexed into Vestavia Hills.
St. John said Strickland is known for being a dedicated member of the fire department who has a committed work ethic.
Strickland has also given back to the community through his involvement in remodeling projects at four of the city’s fire stations.
City Manager Jeff Downes named City Clerk Rebecca Leavings the 2014 Civic Employee of the Year.
Leavings began her career with the city as an administrative clerk in 1989 and became the deputy clerk for the city’s Planning and Zoning Department in 2000.
She has been the city clerk since 2007 and is active in the Jefferson and Shelby Municipal Clerks associations. In 2011, Leavings was named the Municipal Clerk of the Year by the Alabama Association of Municipal Clerks and Administrators.
