Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) Police Chief Chad Cardin recently received the Georgia Fraternal Order of Police President’s National Conference Grant to attend a police conference.

Cardin was selected as one of two Georgia Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) lodge presidents awarded the grant, which allowed him to attend the 66th Biennial National Fraternal Order of Police Conference held recently in Las Vegas. Cardin said the grant enables a local lodge board member who otherwise could not afford to attend the conference to do so, experience the national delegation and serve as a voting delegate. 

“This award was created this year, so Chief Cardin was one of the first to receive it,” Georgia FOP President Jeff Wiggs explained.

The award is given to a local board member to recognize contributing time and knowledge to the law enforcement profession and the FOP, such as recruiting FOP lodge members, Cardin said. 

Cardin said he met many talented individuals and expanded his network of peers, and the seminars taught him about officers’ benefits and better techniques for training and education. 

“I got to experience the passion and enthusiasm of law enforcement officers from across the nation, Canada and Ireland.”

“This was a big experience for me—my first time on an airplane and my first time west of the Mississippi River,” he said, adding how much appreciated the Georgia FOP members who nominated him for this opportunity. 

Georgia Northwestern Technical College provides quality workforce education to the citizens of northwest Georgia. Students have the opportunity to earn an associate degree, diploma or a certificate in aviation, business, health, industrial or public service career paths. This past year, 11,601 people benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs. GNTC has an annual credit enrollment of 8,071 students and an additional enrollment of 3,530 people through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training and Georgia Quick Start. For more information about GNTC, visit us at www.GNTC.edu. GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and an Equal Opportunity Institution.