Drew, Holmes, Taylor-Duncan lauded as city’s best
MADISON – For the past 25 years, Rotary Club of Madison has consulted with the City of Madison to recognize outstanding public servants in “Madison Employees of the Year” acknowledgment.
“These fine employees have been selected by their supervisors for this well-deserved recognition,” Rotarian and Project Chair Debbie Overcash said. “Our appreciation includes a plaque for each individual, inclusion on the perpetual plaque at City Hall and a monetary gift from Rotary Club of Madison, along with our entire city’s gratitude for a job very well done.”
Mayor Ranae Bartlett, Council President Maura Wroblewski, Rotary President Carla Buchanan and Rotary Vocational Director Margie Phillips assisted with awards presentations.
• Tyler Drew, 2026 Firefighter of the Year – Fire Chief Brandy Williams said Drew’s employment with Madison Fire and Rescue Department started in 2018. He was promoted to Driver in 2025.
Drew is a member of Alabama Task Force 3 and the Attached Water Rescue Team. “Drew has a passion for training and always makes it a priority. He assists the department with new-hire orientation, prepping new hires for the Fire Academy and assisting with additional training once they have graduated,” Williams said.
Drew assisted with developing the department’s mini-academy for further training of newly certified firefighters and the checkoff for critical tasks in their Task Books so they can immediately function in their roles on shift.
In addition, Drew assists with maintaining, calibrating and repairing gas monitors.
“Drew is always willing to develop and lead training sessions for his shift and department wide. Our city has experienced exponential growth . . . bringing taller buildings and mixed-use occupancy buildings,” Williams said. “Drew has been an asset in changing the way we train and enhancing tactics for the diverse types of buildings in our city.”
Drew earned an associate’s degree in applied science from Calhoun Community College in 2024. He is married to Gabrielle Drew.
• Chris Holmes, 2026 Employee of the Year – At the presentation, Bartlett said she felt great enthusiasm in announcing that Chris Holmes was the recipient of this award. Holmes currently works as Operations Superintendent in the Facilities and Grounds Department.
“Chris began his journey with our organization in 2017 as a Recreation Aid, and, over the past eight years, his dedication, work ethic and passion for public service have propelled him through the ranks to his current role as Operations Superintendent,” Bartlett said.
“Chris’ rise is a testament not only to his professional growth but to the genuine commitment he brings to our city every single day,” Bartlett said.
Holmes has leveraged his degree in forestry management in truly meaningful ways, applying his expertise to protect and enhance the city’s greenways for residents and future generations alike, she said. Under his leadership, the newly established maintenance crew in Facilities and Grounds has elevated the standard of care for our parks and greenways, making an already beautiful city even safer and more enjoyable for all who live here.
Chris leads by example, and his personal motto — “We don’t make excuses; we get it done.” — speaks volumes about the culture of accountability and excellence he has built within his team. “For these reasons and many more, Chris Holmes is more than deserving of this recognition,” Bartlett said.
• Teresa Taylor-Duncan, 2026 Police Officer of the Year – “Detective Taylor-Duncan has shown herself to be one of the hardest working and one of the most professionally sound officers in Madison Police Department,” Police Chief Johnny Gandy said. “This observation is not just from the past year but has been her reputation for her entire career.”
Taylor-Duncan works in Investigations Division and is assigned all Special Victims cases, including different types of crimes against women and children. She also works on all other types of general investigations while serving on several auxiliary units.
“Over the past year, she has made 24 arrests that were primarily offenders of crimes against women and children,” Gandy said. Some cases involved large networks of offenders in multiple states that produced and distributed obscene material that victimized children. In one case, the offender had more than one terabyte (or 1,000 gigabytes) of material.
In extensive investigations, she worked on several crimes that actually occurred in other jurisdictions. Taylor- Duncan works with Alabama’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force and frequently assists other agencies in conducting search/arrest warrants. As police representative to National Children’s Advocacy Center, she attends weekly meetings and works closely with those resources during investigations.
Taylor-Duncan leads the three-day Rape Aggression Defense Course or RAD, a women-only class for awareness, prevention and direct self-defense for females, 12 years and older. Classes give risk reduction, physical tactics and realistic attack simulations.
She is a department driving instructor. Taylor-Duncan also provides remedial training for officers in at-fault accidents while on duty.
“Detective Taylor-Duncan’s great work ethic, excellent investigative skills, enormous passion for her victims while helping prevent future victims and her willingness to share her knowledge with colleagues keeps with the highest standards of Madison Police Department,” Gandy said.
“The residents of Madison, along with the Mayor, City Council and Rotary Club of Madison thank these fine individuals for their service to our community and congratulate you all on a job very well done,” Overcash said.
