The award was presented to Leingang’s widow, Kelly, and two children during the AARC annual meeting Wednesday in Bismarck. During his 37-year career at the department, Leingang’s work with AARC and victims of abuse served as a model for law enforcement.
AARC presents the award annually to a law enforcement officer who has shown exemplary work with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in the past year. Known previously as the Lifesaver Award, it was renamed to honor the Bismarck policeman who was killed in the line of duty in July 2011.
During the annual meeting, Candace Muggerud, CEO of KAT Marketing, was elected to the AARC Board while board member Mike Lund, relief sales support at Bimbo Bakeries, was re-elected also to a three-year term. Another board position was not filled, and the vacancy will be addressed by the Board of Directors at a later date.
Honored for their longtime service as board members were Aruna Seth, Justin Currie and Tamara Barber. All three chose not to seek re-election this year.
Greg Gunderson, retired CEO of Investment Centers of America, Inc., was re-elected board chair. Other officers re-elected were: vice chair, Shawna Piatz, Chief Auditor, North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System; and treasurer, Dave Clark, retired Executive Vice President, Bismarck State College. Christine Hogan, staff attorney for the North Dakota Protection and Advocacy Project, was elected board secretary.
Other board members are Kevin Stadler, senior vice president for commercial lending at BNC National Bank; and Bruce Haskell, retired District Judge.
AARC is a Bismarck-based nonprofit serving survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their families in a seven-county area in south-central North Dakota.