Longtime Milpitas Police officer Mark Doyle will be the honoree of the evening at the 18th Annual Gene Schwab Awards Luncheon.
Held with the theme of “Service Above Self”, the event – organized by the Milpitas Rotary Club – will take place at the Beverly Heritage Hotel on Monday, January 28 at 12 p.m.
Doyle, 43, is a 20-year veteran of the Milpitas Police Department who helped develop and implement the city’s “Character Counts” program for junior high school students. Doyle also counsels students who have been victims of bullying or suffer from mental health issues.
“He is very charismatic, friendly, and is always willing to take the time to listen to citizens’ concerns,” said Frank De Smidt, a Rotary Club director and past president.
Last July, budget cuts required Doyle's position on the Police Community Relations Unit to be cut, so he volunteered for one of his prior responsibilities as Milpitas P.A.L. Junior Giants League Commissioner on his own time. Every Saturday morning throughout the summer, Doyle commuted from his Gilroy home to Milpitas for the Junior Giants Tee-Ball League.
He was recognized by Santa Clara County as one of the top Critical Incident Team Officers in the county, nominated after successfully assisting a local high school student who told school counselors his plan to commit suicide.
Doyle grew up in San Jose, but said much of his childhood was spent in Milpitas, playing church softball league games in the city’s parks and watching movies at the old AMC theaters. He lives with his wife, four daughters and two sons in Gilroy.
