Prestigious Award Recognizes Brackins’ Leadership to Protect the Jewish Community
David Brackins, who directs the communal security programs for the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, and the United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula, received the Federal Bureau of Investigation 2021 Director’s Community Leadership Award for the Richmond Division on July 8.
The award was presented at the Weinstein JCC with more than 50 people in attendance including a number of representatives from the FBI, the Secure Community Network and local law enforcement.
As the Regional Security Advisor, Brackins’ work is part of the Secure Community Network (SCN), insula, the official safety and security organization for the Jewish community in North America.
“Mr. Brackins’ commitment to information-sharing to promote the safety and security of the Jewish community is a benefit to all faith-based communities,” said Stanley Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, who recommended Brackins for the award and presented it to him at a ceremony today in Richmond.
Meador noted, “FBI Richmond is grateful for this long-standing partnership, as protecting houses of worship is one of its highest priorities.”
Daniel Staffenberg, CEO of the JCFR, said, “We congratulate Dave on this well-earned honor, and we thank him for his tremendous work to protect the Jewish community. It has never been more important to strengthen relationships between our law enforcement partners and the Jewish community, and Dave has excelled at building these bridges.”
“There is no higher priority than the safety and security of our community,” said Betty Ann Levin, executive vice president and CEO of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. “This award speaks volumes to Dave’s commitment to this critical work and his success in forming partnerships to carry it out.”
“We are very fortunate to have Dave at the helm of our security program,” said Eric Maurer, executive director of the United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula. “We are pleased to see the FBI take note of his leadership to keep our community safe.”
“We are extremely proud of Dave’s tireless efforts to help protect the Jewish community across Virginia,” said SCN National Director and CEO Michael Masters. “This recognition is testament not only to the high caliber of Dave’s work, but also to the effective relationship Dave has fostered with the FBI and SCN’s other law enforcement and community partners.”
As part of the Federations’ security programs, Brackins provides physical security consultations, building and organizational assessments, training and drills, and threat mitigation to Jewish organizations across much of Virginia, including schools, daycare centers, synagogues, camps, assisted living facilities, and other centers of Jewish life.
Before joining SCN and the Federations in 2019, Brackins served for more than three decades in law enforcement, government, and private homeland security, including as a supervisory special agent with the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security for 27 years.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to do this important work and deeply honored by this award,” said Brackins. “I will continue to work with my colleagues in partner agencies and organizations to keep the Jewish community safe, secure, and resilient.”
