WILLIAM V. LIDDANE AWARD

The William V. Liddane Award
Year	Recipient
2005	Michael Lewis, Progressive Insurance (Michigan State Police, Retired)
2004	Kevin O'Reilly, Liberty Mutual Insurance (Dearborn Police Department, Retired)
2003	Newt Shoup - ATPA
2002	Jim Gavigan - Lojack Corporation - Retired MSP
2001	Jim Ruhlig - Retired NICB
2000	O. Gerald Hinton - AAA Claim Investigation Unit
1999	William V. Liddane**, Posthumously - MAIPF

The William V. Liddane Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the fight against auto theft in Michigan.

QUALIFICATIONS

The individual
- may be a member of the insurance industry;
- may work in federal, state or local government; or
- may be involved in another business entity or community organization engaged in initiatives to combat auto theft.
Nominees will be judged
- on their overall contribution and
- their positive impact toward the reduction of auto theft in Michigan.

NOMINATION PROCESS

Completed nomination forms will be accepted with postmarks up to September 1.
Nomination forms and supporting documents become the exclusive property of the HEAT® Program. Furthermore, the nomination forms and supporting documents may be used at the discretion of the HEAT® Program to publicize the award, award recipient, and promote the Liddane Award program.
Self nominations are accepted.
The recipient will be recognized at the annual anniversary breakfast in October.
The name of the recipient will be added to the permanent award, which is on display at the MAIPF offices in Livonia, Michigan. An individual award will also be presented to the recipient.
Articles promoting the award will appear in future news releases and other publications from the HEAT® Program.

Send all nomination forms and supporting documents to:

Terri A. Miller, CPCU

Director, HEAT® Program

17177 N. Laurel Park Drive, Suite 243

Livonia, MI 48152-2647

Mike Lewis started his career in law enforcement, spending over 25 years with the Michigan State Police. His auto theft experience began in Monroe County in 1990, when he was a one-man operation, handling all auto theft complaints and training road patrol officers. He moved on to lead the Down River Auto Theft Team in 1998. After his retirement, he moved to the insurance industry as a special investigator for Progressive Insurance, the job he holds today.

His most significant accomplishments in helping fight auto theft have been made in his "spare time". He is an active participant in the ACT Committee, and served on the on-site committees for the 1999 International Conference of IAATI and the 2005 North Central Regional Chapter conference. In 2000, he spearheaded the formation of the Michigan Association of Vehicle Theft Investigators, or MAVTI, an organization dedicated to training law enforcement and insurance industry members in all aspects of auto theft and related insurance fraud issues. Now over 200 members strong, MAVTI trains hundreds of people each year. He is also always available to assist HEAT whenever we call.

Mike was nominated for his "resolve and leadership in fighting auto theft" and his "willingness to go the extra step with every opportunity".

Kevin O'Reilly started his career in law enforcement, spending over 25 years with the Dearborn Police Department. He can even tell you that his first recovered retag was a 1985 Camaro. After his retirement, he moved to the insurance industry as a special investigator for Liberty Mutual, the job he holds today.

Kevin is an active participant in the ACT Committee, and served on the Board for five years. He's active in the International Association of Special Investigation Units and the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators, and is a former Board member of the North Central Regional Chapter. He chaired the on-site committee for the 1999 International Conference of IAATI, a meeting that broke all previous records for attendance and stands as a model for all subsequent conferences.

Kevin doesn't just identify a need, he works to fill it. In 2000, he spearheaded the formation of the Michigan Association of Vehicle Theft Investigators, or MAVTI, an organization dedicated to training law enforcement and insurance industry members in all aspects of auto theft and related insurance fraud issues. Now over 200 members strong, MAVTI trains hundreds of people each year. In addition, he was instrumental in the formation of an ACT Committee on the west side of Michigan, facilitating communication between law enforcement and the insurance industry similar to meetings being held regularly in the Detroit area. Last but not least, he has served on the HEAT Committee since 1999.

This person was nominated because "his spirit, dedication and commitment to the fight against auto theft parallels all that the Liddane Award represents."

Newt Shoup came to the United States from Thailand in 1973. She worked her way through school and graduated from Michigan State in 1984 with a degree in accounting. She then moved on to the insurance industry and then to the Auto Theft Prevention Authority, where she’s been since 1988. She is one of those “behind the scenes” people who takes care of all of the details. She adds her financial and organizational skills to groups like the ACT Committee and MAVTI, providing support that allows law enforcement to do what they do best – catch the bad guys. She works tirelessly at educational seminars and at VIN etching events, as well as within the ATPA offices.

Jim Gavigan was one of the first supporters of the HEAT program as a member of the Michigan State Police and the auto theft task forces that existed prior to the Auto Theft Prevention Authority. He earned a prestigious award from the (IATTI) International Association of Auto Theft Investigators as an outstanding investigator for a chop shop bust. Now retired from the Michigan State Police, Jim continues to support car theft reduction efforts as a representative of the Lojack Corporation and is an active member of the (ACT) Anti-Car Theft Committee.

Jim Ruhlig worked with the Detroit Police Department for over 25 years. Over 13 of those years were spent with the Commercial Auto Theft Squad, arresting hundreds of car thieves and recovering scores of stolen vehicles. Immediately after "retiring", he joined the National Insurance Crime Burauu. For 15 years he worked with police departments, prosecutors and insurers to identify thousands of stolen vehicles. He also spent countless hours training others in vehicle identificatioin techniques and could be called for assistance any hour of the day or night. Jim's dedication and skill epitomizes the ideals that this award represents.

**Bill Liddane held the post of General Manager of MAIPF for over 16 years, and was instrumental in the creation of the HEAT® Program in 1985. His pursuit of alliances between law enforcement, business, and the community played an integral part in the reduction of auto theft crime statewide.

Bill took HEAT® from the infancy stage of trade show exhibits to a successful network of law enforcement agencies that are the backbone of the program's tip reward hotline. The program has become a model for states like Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida; and Bill was always there to lend support and give advice. He is greatly missed, but the legacy he left with us - the HEAT® Program - will remain for years to come.

The William V. Liddane Award