Chief, Superintendent, and Captain honored on MLK Day
By John Earp
This past Monday morning at Calvary Baptist Church, three outstanding Jalites were recognized for their service to the community with Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Awards. Recognized for their service were Jal Schools Superintendent Brian Snider, Jal Police Chief Mauricio Valeriano, and Jal Fire Department Captain Joe Cole. Pastor Derrick Wilcox initiated and organized the MLK Breakfast with the help of his wife and the ladies of Calvary Baptist.
Pastor Derrick Wilcox said the MLK awards were meant to recognize these leaders for exemplifying service to the community. He began by giving a quote from Dr. King, “We can’t walk alone,” emphasizing that we all need each other in the community, with every part of the body being fully functional. “Whether we are inside the four walls of this church or not, you are called. Never forget that. God has placed us here for a reason and a purpose.” He then quoted another from MLK, “A genuine leader is not a searcher of consensus but a molder of consensus.”
To be eligible for an MLK Leadership Award, this person initiates and engages in activities that positively change educational, structural, social impact, provides quality safety for our community, approaches academic and social justice areas with self-determination, exemplifies extraordinary commitment and dedication to the community, service, voluntarism, social justice and civil rights, exhibits leadership that has significantly impacted their community and abroad, has overcome challenges at school, community, the workplace.” Wilcox said, “The blessing is, as you guys serve in the community as you are doing, the Lord puts his hands on you, gives you mercy, gives you grace, gives you endurance, gives you encouragement, gives you fortitude.” He continued, “It turns out as leaders, we have to make tough decisions.” [God] gives us guidance.
Jal Fire Department Captain Joe Cole was given the MLK Leadership Award by Wilcox “for your dedication and hard work you make toward the community.” Cole remarked that, “Pastor talked about purpose, so Philippians 2:3-4…Do nothing from selfish or empty conceit but with humility of mind, regard one another as more important than yourself. Don’t merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. So, we have a purpose. I moved to Jal 13-1/2 years ago and I was sleeping in a camp trailer right across the street at the Littles’ house. God gave me a purpose in this town. My daughters really didn’t like me for the first year or so, because they were used to Los Angeles or California. But that night God showed me and told me, ‘You’re here for a reason.’” Cole mentioned that recently his purpose has extended to ministering to the homeless in Hobbs and Carlsbad, adding that he was homeless earlier in his life, but through the intervention of his older sister, he began to get on an upward path of purpose in life. “So the purpose of all of this is not about just the homeless or Jal. It’s about 100% of the time we put Christ first, right?”
School Superintendent Brian Snider was out of town traveling and so could not be present at the meeting. His award was received for him by Jal High School Principal Buddy Little. Mr. Little said, “Well, he’s an awesome person. He loves to travel. He’s traveling right now. I can tell you this from the heart, Mr. Snider is definitely genuinely Jal. He loves Jal and he told me he wanted you guys to know he was honored to get this.”
Wilcox then began to introduce Jal Chief of Police Mauricio Valeriano by sharing his experience as a child growing up in New York City a block down from a police department. He told of how the police in his neighborhood established an athletic center in honor of an officer who has been killed in the line of duty. Wilcox said that athletic center “saved our lives.” He said that in his neighborhood, guys would sell drugs directly across from the police station without ever being arrested. He said that his childhood experience was blessed to be one in which law enforcement were honored and respected as community leaders. He further expressed his appreciation for the law enforcement community in Jal, as represented by Chief Valeriano. Valeriano said he was honored and humbled to receive this reward. He said, “Leadership is not about power and authority. Leadership is about being the greatest servant. Jesus shows us that when he washed the feet. That’s something that I strive to be, is to be a servant leader and I hope to be doing that. Thank you, guys.”