Inside the Promotions & Awards Ceremony: How Outreach Brings Recognition to Life

At UT Police, the annual Promotions and Awards Ceremony represents more than a single event; it reflects months of strategic outreach planning, coordination, and intentional recognition efforts. Now in its 14th year, this signature ceremony continues to highlight professional excellence, service, and leadership while also recognizing the extensive behind-the-scenes communication and production work required to bring the event to life.

In this article, the Community Outreach team is opening the door for a behind-the-scenes look at how this ceremony is planned, promoted, and executed from start to finish. Our hope is that this look into our process builds understanding and deepens respect for the dedicated staff who bring this celebration to life and for those whose efforts and action are applauded.

Setting the Stage

Planning for the yearly event – which is typically held in May during National Police Week – begins in January. At that time, the Outreach team updates the Awards Committee roster, creates a planning timeline, and reviews the run-of-show.

The Outreach team consists of a manager and two Senior Community Relations Specialists. One lead – Taylor Thornton – focuses on overall event planning and logistics, and another – Sherneka Cagle – leads the Awards Committee work, ensuring integrity in the nominations process.

“A great deal of internal collaboration supports this work,” said Community Relations Manager Maribel Salazar. “Where Sherneka ensures that committee work runs smoothly, Taylor takes care of all the intricate details that make for a seamless event.”

Recognizing Team Contributions

As planning for the ceremony unfolds, another layer of the event begins to take shape: the full range of recognitions that will be presented. Beyond UT System Police awards, which anchor the program, the ceremony features a collection of divisional honors that showcase the many ways excellence emerges across UT Police.

Each year, the “Of The Year” awards—organized by job position groupings—highlight individuals whose leadership, service, or professionalism have made a meaningful and lasting impact. Complementing these are the Team Awards, selected by the leadership team to recognize the collaborative efforts that move projects forward and strengthen the division as a whole.

These recognitions are joined by others that paint an even broader picture of achievement.

“Staff members who earned awards from external agencies are also acknowledged, ensuring their accomplishments are celebrated within the community they support every day,” Salazar said.

The ceremony also marks any promotions that occurred throughout the year, recognizing both personal growth and the division’s ongoing development. Taken together, this collection of honors forms the framework for the ceremony’s design and the storytelling that unfolds throughout the program.

System Nominations Criteria and Guidelines

The University of Texas System Office of the Director of Police (ODOP) set guidelines for awards for which commissioned officers and police staff can receive pins which are displayed on an officer’s uniform. Submissions receive careful review and, ultimately, progressive approvals from leadership.

“My role is really about making sure the committee has everything they need to make informed decisions,” Sherneka said. “I help gather the details, organize the materials, and guide the group through the process so we can focus on what matters—recognizing outstanding work.”

Nominations for System awards require complete documentation, supporting evidence, and narratives. The nominations follow a structured review pathway that includes screening at the institutional level, endorsement by Chief of Police and the Associate Vice President, Deputy Chief Security Officer, and final consideration by the Director of Police.

Team Award and Of The Year nominations are evaluated by UT Police’s leadership team, who select the recipients for those divisional honors.

Civilian Service Awards are also part of the program, honoring community members and institutional partners who are not part of the police division but who have made a notable difference through their support of an incident, initiative, or project.

Crafting the Ceremony Lineup

With committee decisions taking shape, Outreach shifts into communication and engagement mode. This includes a general invitation to team members and their families, institutional partners and leadership, and special guests.

“Selecting a keynote speaker is so important, as is scheduling a singer for the national anthem, and inviting our friends with the UTMB Honor Guard to present the colors,” Salazar said.

Communication efforts themselves are also an important part of what makes the event successful, including coordinating live-streaming and video production needs, finalizing shot lists for the photographers, developing the slide deck for the big screens, and overall promotional visibility that helps tell the story of excellence across the division.

“We also have to prepare the plaques and awards that recipients will walk away with, and we ensure that certificates have a personalized summary description of the incident or project that is being recognized,” Thornton said.

Budget reviews, vendor communication, and developing an on-hand support team are also essential parts of ensuring the event runs smoothly.

Bringing the Program Together

Meanwhile, the Outreach team manages the coordination of program participants, confirms event logistics, and prepares promotional materials that reflect the significance of the ceremony. As production begins, attention shifts to developing the ceremony script, preparing awards, assembling presentation materials, issuing invitations, and finalizing logistics.

Every member of the Outreach team contributes to crafting and refining the event script alongside the executive leadership team, ensuring the messaging aligns with divisional priorities and appropriately honors each recipient.

Keeping the Surprise

Once the committee completes its work, the Outreach team keeps the list of awardees and their specific honors under wraps to preserve the surprise and make the moment of recognition more meaningful. Awardees are given only the essential details and told simply that their presence will be needed, allowing the full impact of the announcement to unfold during the ceremony.

“Due to the nature of our work, some team members will always be unable to attend the ceremony due to campus safety responsibilities, required rest periods, or scheduled time off,” Salazar said. “Yet, we work closely with schedulers to give every awardee the opportunity to receive applause in the presence of their peers and family.”

Delivering the Ceremony Experience

The day of the ceremony is an all-hands-on-deck effort, with a handful of team members joining in to support the two-hour event. “During the ceremony, the Outreach team shifts into live-production mode—managing cues, coordinating presenters, assisting honorees, and ensuring each element of the program unfolds seamlessly,” Thornton said.

The event brings together staff, leadership, and special guests for a two-hour celebration of service and achievement, creating a moment of unity and pride that reflects the spirit of the division.

Even after the ceremony concludes, Outreach responsibilities continue. Follow-up communications, recognition highlights, website updates, and community visibility efforts help extend the impact of the event while documenting achievements for future engagement efforts.

Join Us at the Ceremony

Seating for the event is limited; however, those interested in attending are encouraged to complete the interest form. Additional details, confirmations, and event information will be shared via email with participants closer to the event date.

Know Someone Deserving? Nominate Them

Community members are encouraged to submit nominations in accordance with ODOP Policy 411 by completing the DP46 form. Additionally, commendations are also welcome year-round through the submission portal on our website.