George Jackson receives President's Award for Excellence

George C. Jackson, a lieutenant in the Virginia Tech Police Department, recently received the university's 2008 President's Award for Excellence.

The President’s Award for Excellence is presented annually to up to five Virginia Tech staff employees who have made extraordinary contributions by consistent excellence in the performance of their job or a single incident, contribution, or heroic act. Each recipient is awarded a $2,000 cash prize.

Jackson joined the Virginia Tech Police Department in 2002 as a patrol officer, moved to criminal investigations in 2004, and was promoted to patrol lieutenant in 2007. He previously served as a sniper on the Emergency Response Team.

Jackson serves as the department’s evidence technician, having graduated from the Virginia Forensic Science Academy on April 13, 2007. Just three days later, he processed evidence at both West Ambler Johnson Hall and Norris Hall under the most difficult of circumstances. The following morning, he was assigned to the command post and began assisting other agencies including the Virginia State Police and the FBI.

“One of the most difficult tasks undertaken by George for the department after April 16 was providing tours and information to victims and family members that chose to walk through Norris Hall,” said Virginia Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum. “The compassion and kindness he showed while providing the tours cannot be explained in words. This was a very emotional and trying task but George always handled the tours with sensitivity.”