California has recognized five Caltrans employees with the Governor’s State Employee Medal of Valor. This award is the highest honor given to public servants for acts of heroism that go beyond their normal duties and involve significant personal risk.
Mike Keever, Acting Director of Caltrans, announced the recipients of the Silver Medal of Valor. John Bedolla and Isai Camino, both from District 8, were honored for rescuing a mother and her child from an overturned vehicle on Interstate 15 on January 7, 2024.
Vernon Ladd, a retired worker from District 6, along with Jarett Walter Lopez, an equipment operator from the same district, received recognition for helping children escape a damaged school bus after it collided with a fuel truck on State Route 41 in Fresno on May 13, 2014.
Jerry Prado from District 7 was awarded for his intervention in a suicide attempt where he provided both physical and emotional support to someone in crisis on March 13, 2024.
The ceremony included officials such as CalSTA Undersecretary James Hacker and Caltrans Deputy Director Janice Benton. The annual award was first presented by Governor Edmund G. Brown Sr. in 1959. Over its history, more than 800 state employees have been recognized with this medal, including over 130 from Caltrans.
