2022 Civilian of the Quarter

January through March | Krystal Albury

Congratulations for being selected as the Florida Highway Patrol Civilian Employee of the Quarter from January through March 2022.

Krystal Albury has been with the Florida Highway Patrol for 26 years, serving in many different administrative capacities. During the past 12 years, Ms. Albury has been the Troop K OOC, where she has continued to perform at a very high level. It has been common for Ms. Albury to volunteer for additional assignments throughout her career, such as handling all uniform and equipment needs for the Florida Highway Patrol’s Quick Reaction Force.

On January 10, 2022, Ms. Albury volunteered to oversee and assist in the FHP/SLERS inventory and asset tagging process. This responsibility was part of the new Harris radio contract for the entire Division. This project was conducted at the L3 Harris facility and involved the physical inspection, asset assignment and tagging for each of the 5,400 new portable and mobile radios that were delivered to the Division. Completing this project had to occur before the installation project could begin. On top of maintaining normal responsibilities, Ms. Albury completed this project ahead of schedule, allowing the next phase to begin timely. Ms. Albury’s hard work, dedication and positive attitude are greatly appreciated and respected by all who work with her.

April through June | Delaina Bruce

Congratulations to Delaina Bruce for being selected as the Florida Highway Patrol Civilian Employee of the Quarter from April through June 2022.

Office Manager Delaina Bruce has excelled during this period by continuing to manage operations effectively and efficiently in Troop H. She successfully completed the inventory of all items for the Troop and ensured radio maintenance was completed. She played an intricate role during the new radio installations, working extra hours and adjusting her schedule to ensure radios were completed for Troop H, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence, the Academy, and GHQ. She completed this added assignment while completing her normal demanding work responsibilities.

July through September | Lona Mitchell

Congratulations to Lona Mitchell for being selected as the Florida Highway Patrol Civilian Employee of the Quarter from July through September 2022.

Mrs. Lona Mitchell, a retired FHP Corporal, is currently Troop F’s Victim Advocate. Troop F staff observed a staff member was not their “usual self.” Mrs. Mitchell intervened and used her medical knowledge to check on the staff member as often as possible. She was instrumental in getting them to the doctor on July 1, 2022, which led to their hospitalization. Hospital staff noted that Mrs. Mitchell extended the staff member’s life by taking them to seek medical attention, giving their family the time to see them before their untimely passing.

October through December | Vic Thomas

Congratulations to Vic Thomas for being selected as the Florida Highway Patrol Civilian Employee of the Quarter from October through December 2022.

As the Florida Highway Patrol’s (FHP) Communications Systems Manager since 2013, Vic Thomas has been solely responsible for overseeing support and maintenance of the FHP’s critical land-mobile radio voice communications system, hardware, and infrastructure. He is responsible for over 5,000 mobile and portable radios and serves as the operational point of contact between the FHP, the State Law Enforcement Radio System (SLERS), and various contractor entities within Florida and across the United States.

During this past year, Mr. Thomas has led FHP’s transition to new mobile and portable radios and have been representing FHP to external partners as the SLERS transitions to a new P-25 system. This very time-consuming work has caused him to spend a disproportionate amount of time traveling away from home while overseeing every facet of the radio transition. In addition to guiding installation and distribution of radios, he assisted during the Hurricane Ian relief efforts and was instrumental in planning communications for the 47th Gubernatorial Inauguration.

Mr. Thomas is consistently responsive to customer’s needs and goes above and beyond the call of duty to support FHP troopers. In times of great need and natural disasters, he has been right alongside sworn members in the field, responding to impacted areas to ensure they have the capabilities they need to perform their missions.