People

Spotlight on achievers

Michael P. Roach

Placentia Police Department officer

City officials have honored Roach with the Employee Recognition Program Award.

Roach, a nine-year veteran of the force, is a field training officer and assistant coordinator of the department’s Racing for Kids program.

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Michael LeBlanc, Vice President, Irvine Co.

LeBlanc, an Irvine resident, has been named this year’s chairman of the Newport-Costa Mesa-Irvine YMCA.

His duties include leading a 28-member board of directors and overseeing a $2-million annual budget.

When LeBlanc is not supervising acquisition of development rights for the Irvine Co., he volunteers for the Orange County Community Housing Corp. and the Knights of Columbus-St. John Neumann.

The YMCA provides community and children’s programs that serve 21,000 people in the area. It also offers a family counseling program and outreach services.

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Christine Karlberg Cantrell, Science teacher, Hewes Middle School in Tustin

Cantrell was recognized as Orange County’s top middle school science teacher by Toshiba America Companies of Southern California and KOCE-TV.

The organizations said they were particularly impressed by Cantrell’s science lesson called “Anatomy of a Crime.” She had her students attend a mock police academy and learn about the importance of fingerprinting and hair, fiber and blood analysis.

She received a $500 cash prize.

The annual awards recognize Orange County teachers who have developed outstanding science programs and teaching techniques.

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Don Howell, Detective, Huntington Beach

The state’s Police Officers’ Standards and Training Commission selected Howell to help prepare the criteria for a course on investigating sexual assaults. The techniques he developed for the course will be used throughout California.

Howell has earned a reputation in Southern California for his expertise in this field.

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Frances Knott, Orange County volunteer

Assemblyman Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove) chose Knott as Woman of the Year in his 68th Assembly District.

“Frances has given tirelessly of herself for many years, and countless people’s lives have been improved through her volunteer activities,” Pringle said.

Knott now serves as vice president of the Freedom’s Foundation of Valley Forge, a group that teaches civic responsibility to schoolchildren. --COMPILED BY LESLEY WRIGHT, WITH DEBRA CANO, BERT ELJERA AND HOLLY J. WAGNER