The Rotary Club of Valdosta will host the 11th Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Dinner on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at the James H. Rainwater Conference Center.  The event begins with a reception at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m., followed by recognition of Officers of the Year representing Valdosta Police Department, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, and Georgia State Patrol.

This year’s guest speaker is Georgia Senator Tyler Harper, R-Ocilla, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment and Vice-Chairman of the Senate Public Safety Committee. He also serves as a member of the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs and Appropriations Committees.

At the age of 26, Harper was first elected to the Georgia Senate in 2012 and continues to be the youngest serving member of the Senate.

Harper is a champion for agriculture, natural resources, and public safety. He serves as a host of the annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Day at the State Capitol.

Since being elected to the Senate, Harper has received numerous awards and honors including being named “Defender of Liberty” by the American Conservatives Union and by GOPAC as one of 20 Emerging Leaders, a program comprised of promising state legislators from across the country.

He has been named Legislator of the Year by the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia and the Georgia State Firefighters Association/Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs. Harper was honored with Associate Life Membership by the Peace Officer Association of Georgia and was recognized by the Georgia Department of Driver Services and the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police for his work on public safety issues.

A graduate of the University of Georgia and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Harper is dedicated to issues of importance to South Georgia including transportation and rural broadband. In addition, he served on Governor Nathan Deal’s Education Reform Commission, which intently evaluated the state’s education system and funding.

Harper began his political career serving as a Congressional Fellow for Senator Saxby Chambliss, as well as county campaign chair for the election of Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black. He is an avid outdoorsman and a rated helicopter and fixed-wing pilot.