In 2004 the VFSAAA started the "VFSAAA Crime Scene Officer of the Year Award".
In 2006 the name of the award was changed to the "Dr. Paul Ferrara VFSAAA Crime Scene Officer of the Year Award".
In 2021 the name of the award was changed to the "Dr. Paul Ferrara Award"
The "Dr. Paul Ferrara Award" is given out each year during our Annual Retraining Seminar.
Dr. Paul Ferrara was the Director of the Department of Forensic Science form 1985 to 2006. The Department changed names from Bureau to Division and finally to Department under his leadership. Under his direction in 1989 the Commonwealth of Virginia became the first state laboratory capable of preforming DNA fingerprinting analyses. He was a tremendous supported of the VFSA and the VFSAAA. Dr. Paul Ferrara was an Honorary Member of the VFSAAA.
In May of 2011 Dr. Paul Ferrara passed away after a long illness.
Award Guidelines and the current Award Flyer can be found below.
The Dr. Paul Ferrara Award is intended for a current Member(s) of the VFSAAA who, through their dedication and commitment, have performed outstanding work involving a particular case, or for a Member who has continuously excelled in the field of Crime Scene Technology.
Previous winners of the Dr. Paul Ferrara Award.
2021 Clay Overholt
SSA/VSP
Heather Marshall
SA/VSP
2020 William K. Johnson
SA VSP
Delmas R. Roberts
SA VSP
2019 Benjamin P. Woodson
Master Detective
Stafford CO SO
2018 Amy Crouch
Master Forensic Specialist
Hampton Police Division
Doug Perkins
Detective Spotsylvania CO SO
Earle Swift
Detective Spotsylvania CO SO
2016 Christopher J. McClure
SSA VSP
John D. Cromer
SSA VSP
Aaron Criner
Detective Galax Police Dept.
Burton R. Edwards
SA VSP
Sandra Cleary
Senior Forensic Tech.
Newport News Police Dept.
2015 Jeremy W. Carper
Detective
Charlottesville Police Dept.
Brian Dudley
Investigator
Campbell CO SO
Dewayne Wade
Investigator
Campbell CO SO
Robert Zinn
Retired
Prince William CO Police
2014 Robert F. Barnes
SA VSP
2013 Angie Witt
SA VSP
John Defilippi
SA VSP
Ken Werner
Prince William CO Police
Carlton Nurney
Isle of Wright CO SO
2012 Michael F. Flaherty
Detective
Charlottesville Police Dept.
2010 David W. Kackley
Stafford, Fauquier, Page, and
Frederick CO SO
Town of Leesburg PD
2009 Larry Robbie Roberts
Master Forensic Specialist
Hampton Police Dept
David L. Flynn
Detective
Roanoke County Police Dept
Jeffery D. Clarke
Detective
Roanoke County Police Dept
2008 Joan R. Jones
Suffolk Police Dept
2007 George C. Jackson LT
Virginia Tech Police Dept
George K Harth
SA VSP
2006 Matthew Adderson
Detective
Fairfax County Police Dept
2005 Chip Shuler
Smyth CO SO
Johnny Joannou
Smyth CO SO
2004 Ralph Daigneau
Prince William CO Police Dept
Terry McCurdy
Portsmouth Police Dept