On June 25th, 2026, the Rotary Club of Caldwell held its annual banquet and award program at the Caldwell Civic Center. The goal of the evening was to come together to show community support for the law enforcement agencies in Burleson county. This year marked the 25th year of the annual event started by former DA Charles Sebesta.
This evening was for the ones who work behind the scenes keeping the agency running smoothly, the ones who hit the pavement running, the ones who work tirelessly to get the job done, and to the ones who always give more of themselves than has ever been asked.
The 2026 honorees were:
- Support Person of the Year: Tanya Muzny with Caldwell PD.
- Rookie of the Year: Deputy Bern Collum with the BC Sheriff's Office.
- Service Above Self: Lieutenant Al Horak with the BC Sheriff's Office.
- Charles Sebesta Peace Officer of the Year: Patrol Officer Nancy Cowen with the Caldwell PD.
Also, a special recognition of former Sheriff Gene Hermes was presented by Ken Wiltz to Gene’s wife and daughter and to current Sheriff Bill Rios. In addition, we were honored to have District 5870 Governor Todd Smith offer welcoming remarks and sharing how the work of Rotarians aligns with the work of law enforcement officers. Thank you to all the men and women that keep this county and its citizens safe everyday! We appreciate all you do to make Burleson County. Thank you also to the numerous sponsors of the event with which the Rotary Club could not host this event.