Madison honors City Employees of the Year

The City of Madison announced the recipients of its 2025 Employees of the Year awards this week. The three recipients are Captain Ryan Ledford of Madison Fire & Rescue, Officer Joshua Collins of the Madison Police Department and Roger Bellomy of the City of Madison.

Get to know these award recipients below:

Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Madison, this annual recognition celebrates excellence, leadership and a steadfast commitment to public service. This year’s honorees exemplify the dedication and drive that make Madison a great place to live and work.

Firefighter of the Year: Captain Ryan Ledford

Ledford joined Madison Fire in 2015, was promoted to Driver in 2022, and just this month was elevated to Captain.

He is a graduate of the Alabama Public Safety Leadership Academy, a nine-month program that develops top-tier fire service leaders. His peers and supervisors nominated him for his leadership on key department initiatives, including research on a proposed 48/96 shift schedule and training programs that support both new recruits and returning officers.

He is also a member of AL-TF3’s water team and was recently deployed to assist with Hurricane Sandy response in Baldwin County.

“Ryan always has a calm demeanor, positive attitude, and is always working with other members to ensure they are well trained. I expect big things from Ryan and look forward to him playing an important part in moving our department forward.”

Chief Brandy Williams, Madison Fire & Rescue

Police Officer of the Year: Officer Joshua Collins

Currently serving in the MPD Training Division, Collins has played a critical role in transforming how the department recruits and trains officers.

He developed the “Top Cop Challenge” to promote fitness and skill development and introduced major improvements to the hiring process. His efforts allowed the department to onboard 15 new officers in one year, a significant achievement that helped MPD meet its staffing goal of 90 sworn officers.

Officer Collins also made key repairs to the Virtual Firearms Automated Training System and is preparing officers for certification in the Pepper Ball launcher, a new less-lethal force option.

His contributions have directly enhanced officer readiness, departmental growth,and long-term sustainability.

“Officer Josh Collins has been an invaluable member of the Training Division, whose efforts have greatly enhanced the size of our staffing levels and skills and abilities of our officers.”

Chief Johnny Gandy, MPD

City Employee of the Year: Roger Bellomy

The 2025 Employee of the Year for the City of Madison is Director of Finance Roger Bellomy. He began his service to the City in 1995 as Assistant Director of Finance and stepped into the director’s role in 2012.

His accomplishments include multiple facets of long-standing municipal operations, from the creation of dedicated revenue funds that support paving, capital purchases and debt reduction, to the successful launch of Town Madison and Toyota Field.

The data he and his team provided helped City and school leadership develop its 2019 property tax plan, which passed with overwhelming community support. Most recently, he established Fund 38, which provides full transparency for the city’s capital projects.

“Under his leadership, we maximize value with our community’s money. On a personal level, I love Roger’s heart, his passion for our community’s success, and his willingness to speak his mind. Good things happened for Madison when Roger was involved.”

Mayor Paul Finley

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