October 23, 2020 – Two dedicated team members from the City of Midland were recently selected as the 2020 Carl and Esther Gerstacker Police and Firefighter of the Year award winners. Midland Police Department Officer Tyler Hollingsworth was named the City’s 2020 Police Officer of the Year, while Midland Fire Department Technical Secretary Julianne (Juli) Seibert was honored as the 2020 Firefighter of the Year.
Officer Hollingsworth began his career with the Midland Police Department (MPD) in 2015 as a road patrol officer after having previously served with the Manistee County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy sheriff. Ofc. Hollingsworth serves as a field training officer and is a current member of the Midland County Dive Team and the MPD Technology Committee. In March 2019, he was promoted to accreditation manager, a role in which he oversaw an in-depth, year-long process to achieve MPD’s accreditation with the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police’s Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission. As a direct result of his tireless efforts and continuous dedication to the project, MPD received this accreditation in February 2020. In addition to his work as accreditation manager, Ofc. Hollingsworth was also recognized by his peers for his selfless service during the May 2020 flooding and dam failure event, even as his own home was impacted by flood waters, and for his role in stopping a multi-jurisdictional crime ring earlier this year.
Juli Seibert began her career with the City in 1999 as a part-time library aide at the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library and was promoted to technical secretary for the Midland Fire Department (MFD) in 2009. In her role, she assists Fire Department administrative staff with day-to-day fire station operations, scheduling, public engagement, and other related duties. According to her nominating peers, Juli’s dedication to the Department was put on fully display during the May 2020 flooding event. Over the course of several days, she spent countless hours ensuring that all responding personnel were fed, well-rested, supported, and had access to the necessary supplies to provide response and recovery efforts to residents in need.
This year’s winners were honored at a small ceremony on Tuesday, October 20. Awards are funded through and given by the Midland Area Community Foundation. The selection process and awards ceremony are coordinated by the Midland Exchange Club.
