| FBI ChicagoJanuary 24, 2012 |
Naperville resident Brent King has been selected as the 2011 Chicago-area recipient of the Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA), announced Robert D. Grant, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The DCLA is presented annually by FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III to a recipient in each of the FBI’s 56 domestic field offices. Established in 1990, the DCLA is designed to publicly recognize an individual or organization that has helped with crime prevention and educational programs within their community and which have furthered the efforts of law enforcement. In selecting Brent King as the 2011 recipient of this prestigious award, Director Mueller noted the hard work and dedication exhibited by Mr. King. Said Director Mueller, “Brent King has taken a tragic and life-altering event and used it as a vehicle for change. His tireless efforts to help enact legislation and develop programs designed to protect children, following the loss of his own daughter, make him a deserving recipient of our Community Leadership Award.”
Brent and his wife Kelly are the parents of Chelsea King, a 17-year-old high school student who was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered by a convicted sex offender while she was jogging in a San Diego County park in February of 2010. Mr. King worked closely with local law enforcement and the San Diego FBI to help find his daughter and identify the individual responsible for this heinous crime.
Following the conviction of Chelsea’s killer, Mr. King and his family returned to the Chicago area, where they now reside in suburban Naperville. They formed and volunteer for the Chelsea’s Light Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to empowering kids and engaging communities to create positive change.
Mr. King and the foundation were instrumental in drafting and helping the California legislature pass Chelsea’s Law, which requires a life sentence without parole for violent sexual predators who target minors. The narrowly defined law passed with bipartisan support and focuses on preventing sexual predators from harming other innocent victims. Mr. King and the foundation are working to enact similar legislation in other states, all designed to help protect children.
The foundation has also created a scholarship program for high school students, which in its first year, awarded $65,000 to college bound seniors; established a peer-counseling program; and developed an outreach and support initiative for the victims of sexual assault.
In announcing this award, Mr. Grant noted the important role that the public plays in assisting law enforcement. Said Mr. Grant, “Although he might not be widely known by the public, Brent King is making a difference in our community. His work is not only keeping the spirit and memory of his daughter alive, but is also helping to protect you and your children from violent sexual predators.”
Mr. King follows award winning Chicago radio and television personality Roe Conn, who was the 2010 Chicago DCLA recipient.
An awards luncheon honoring Mr. King is scheduled for noon on Friday, January 27, at the University Club of Chicago, 76 East Monroe Street. Mr. King will also be invited to attend an awards ceremony to be held in Washington, D.C. in March, at which time DCLA recipients from across the nation will be personally honored by Director Mueller.
Additional information about the Director’s Community Leadership Award and the FBI’s Community Outreach program can be found online at www.fbi.gov.
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