By Amy Baker
Every so often as we begin to get set in our ways, change happens.
Let us all be positive and hope that it is for the better.
Well, recently here at the Telford Unit we have seen several changes.
We began with the loss of Assistant Warden Andy Massingill and his wife
Lee Ann who returned to their home in Gatesville, and where he is assistant
warden at the Hughes Unit.
We certainly miss their faces around here, but our loss is their gain.
Not even a month later, we here at Telford are finding out we’re
losing Assistant Warden Dawn Grounds to the Gurney Unit.
We were blessed with both of them here for almost five years since our
opening.
We would like to bid them farewell but hope we shall see them again.
Best of luck to them.
Well, if that wasn’t the bombshell, here it is: Warden Darwin Sanders
announced his retirement at the end of May, having 24 years of service
to the agency.
His final day here we held a ceremony in his honor in which the TDCJ
color guard was present and he was presented a Texas flag and the agency
flag.
We would like to commend the color guard on a fine display of pride
and professionalism, and thank them for attending.
Following the ceremony a reception was held on the unit where Warden
Sanders was presented with gifts form employees and cake along with a potluck
dinner.
He was presented a wooden plaque featuring the agency seal by J.B. Warren
from the Region II director’s office.
We wish him and his wife a plentiful retirement.
We are very proud to welcome four individuals to our team here at Telford
and are sure each of them will have a tremendous impact on each of us.
Warden Rodney Cooper brings with him 20 years with the agency. He began
at Ellis as a correctional officer and later promoted to Eastham as a lieutenant,
then promoted to captain in Huntsville as a recruiter in personnel.
While there he was promoted to major. Going back to Eastham, he was
promoted to assistant warden and stayed there for six years.
In January 1994, he was promoted to warden at the Wallace/Ware Unites
where he has remained until his arrival here at Telford.
He would like for the employees to keep a positive attitude each and
every day as they set forth for another day of work out here.
Employees deserve a pat on the back for the effort they put forth.
Assistant Warden Brian Rodeen began in 1980 at Ramsey I where he promoted
through the years from COI to captain. In June 1992, upon the opening of
the McConnell Unit, he was promoted to major.
Then he was promoted, in March 1996 to assistant regional director for
Region II.
Six months later he went to the Clements Unit as assistant warden, staying
there until his arrival here at Telford.
He is very community oriented and has made a huge success in such a
short time.
David Hudson is no stranger to Telford. He began in the system in 1984
at Coffield.
In 1986 he transferred to the Mountain View Unit as a correctional officer
for four years.
Upon the opening of the Hughes Unit in 1990, he transferred there where
he was later promoted to sergeant in 1992. He lateral transferred to Robertson
when they opened. He promoted to lieutenant on the opening of the Middleton
Unit and then promoted to captain on the opening of Telford in 1995.
In 1998, he promoted to major at the Coffield Unit. What a surprise
to see him back at Telford in May as assistant warden. His wife Valerie
is currently a lieutenant at the Michael Unit and has a daughter, Jasmine,
who takes up much of his time because he is very family-oriented. We are
especially proud to welcome them back.
Maj. Dirk Gray began his career with TDCJ in July 1985 beginning as
a CO at Beto. Promoting to sergeant at Clemens, to lieutenant at Ramsey
II and to captain at Holliday have been very enjoyable for him and his
family. While captain at Holliday, he really enjoyed a special 90-day rotational
tour for captains at the Region II office. He has had a positive career
with TDCJ and in May once again he took another step up to major here at
Telford. He and his wife Kim have three sons and a daughter. We would like
to welcome them with open arms and hope they will be here for a long while.
Maj. Stanley Melvin has been with Telford for almost five years. However
as an employee we are proud of himin so many aspects we cannot count them
all. Having almost 16 years with the agency he is a truly dedicated individual.
He is teaching the correctional officer classes at Texarcana College and
at Trinity Valley College. He has had 20 years with the military in which
four years were active duty and the past 16 a member of the Texas National
Guard, in which he currently serves.
Recently he became the father of a 7-year-old son named Kelvin. As busy
as he is, Maj. Melvin took on fatherhood by adoption. The military has
taught him about motivation, ability and desire. Being single, and very
busy, he had the desire to be a father and made it happen for the both
of them. Maj. Melvin is an extraordinary person in whom we show much respect,
not only as an employee but an individual. He feels as a unit we are second
to none and could not ask for a better place for him and Kelvin to be.
We would like to commend each of these individuals on their past and
for their future.
They are all a great asset to us.
