Merced Deputy Sheriff’s Association honors Members of the Year

The Merced County Deputy Sheriff’s Association has chosen its three Members of the Year for 2015.

One member from each job classification – sheriff’s deputy, deputy coroner and dispatcher – is chosen by the association’s membership during a one-week voting period. The honorees receive a plaque and cash prize for the recognition. This is the second year the association has held the event.

This year’s honorees are dispatcher Monica Workman, Deputy Sheriff Corey Swartz and Deputy Coroner Jackie Hicks.

Workman has been with the Sheriff’s Office for five years. She was honored for her friendliness and ability to work under pressure, said Phil Brooks, the association president.

Swartz has worked in law enforcement for seven years and has been with Merced County for about a year. The 30-year-old deputy sheriff is dedicated and has a “knack for sniffing out the bad guys,” Brooks said.

This is the second year Hicks, a 12-year veteran of the department, has been chosen. She has lived in Merced County for more than four decades and is known for her work ethic, positive attitude and kind heart, Brooks said.

This story was originally published November 24, 2015 at 2:51 PM with the headline "Merced Deputy Sheriff’s Association honors Members of the Year."