Graduates Doing Great Things: A Message from Blanche Ely Alum, Veda Coleman-Wright

In June, many high school seniors will graduate and go on to the next chapter of their lives. As students go further in their careers, it’s important to remember some of the graduates before them. In this installation of Graduates Doing Great Things, we have Veda Coleman-Wright, Public Information Officer for the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Coleman-Wright graduated from Blanche Ely High School and graduated from Florida A&M University with a degree in journalism. She worked as an assignment editor for Channel 10 News, before working with BSO as a public information officer. She now serves as the Public Information Office Director, where she leads a team of communicators, manages media relations, and helps BSO tell their story.

Coleman-Wright is thankful to her teachers and other staff at Blanche Ely for helping her become the leader she is today. We sat down and did a Q&A with Coleman-Wright for the upcoming graduates who are on the brink of change and to get a glimpse of what she does in her role at BSO:

To the graduates, she says: “First, put God above all things. Learn from your mistakes and let them strengthen you. Strive for the very best and nothing less. Give and expect respect. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Listen more than you speak; you’ll be amazed at the vast knowledge you gain. A life of service is a life well lived. Be humble yet confident.”

She adds, it’s important to use your God-given talents to give back to your community. That’s what she does as a Public Information Officer Director for BSO, she uses her journalism skills to help keep our community safe.

“We know that no man is an island at the Broward Sheriff’s Office, and public safety is a partnership,” she said. “We all play a vital role in keeping our communities safe. Residents need to know BSO will be there to address their emergency needs or lend a helping hand. This communication works both ways. In turn, we need them to be our eyes and ears and not be afraid to provide us with information in order to serve them better.”

BSO currently has several initiatives to keep Pompano Beach and other parts of the county safe, like Park, Walk, and Talk, and bicycle patrols that allow deputies to interact with the community and build relationships. Other programs include the Community Outreach Response and Enforcement (CORE) Team, Community Action Team (CAT), and Homeless Outreach Team (HOT).

“These teams are designed to address critical and persistent issues within the community by combining resources from the BSO and the City of Pompano Beach. Members from CORE, CAT and HOT and other district personnel often host or participate in community events as well. District personnel really enjoyed participating in this year’s Unity in the Community — Family Fun Day event,” she said.

Serving the community is of utmost importance to BSO. That’s why the organization is always looking for ways to help. “For example, after receiving complaints about trash and debris piling up in the areas around North Powerline Road between Copans Road and Wiles Road, deputies from our Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach districts increased their presence along these areas.

In March, they spent time removing debris from the roadway, educating the public about the issue with message boards and issuing citations when necessary. These clean-ups are important because when criminals see blighted areas, they think no one cares or no one is watching,” she said.

In April, BSO entered into a friendly competition to collect food for the Broward Partnership Pompano Beach Center. BSO battled against Pompano Beach High School for the food drive challenge. “At the end of the three-week food drive challenge, we were all winners because it gave deputies an opportunity to interact with the high schoolers, and both groups collected more than 3,500 items for the homeless assistance center.”