Pete Motekaitis was teaching a beginners swim class in Hickey Gym last year when one of his students suddenly slipped off her kickboard and sank to the bottom of the pool.

Motekaitis yelled out to another student to call 911 and then dove in to get the sunken swimmer. He pulled her from the water — unconscious, not breathing — and performed CPR. She coughed, gasped and began to breathe again.

"My heart drops every time I picture her at the bottom of that pool," said Motekaitis. "I'm just glad it had a happy ending."

For his act of courage, Motekaitis received recognition Jan. 17 along with 22 other university employees and area residents at the 13th annual Citizens Appreciation Awards Ceremony. The luncheon was held by the UC Davis Police Department at the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center.

Sgt. Barry Swartwood received the University of Caliornia's Medal of Valor, the highest honor of its kind, for his role in the officer-involved shooting of Dec. 14, 2004. The suspect, Martin Louie Castro Soriano, fired shots at UC Davis police with a handgun before officers returned fire and killed him.

"It's a nice appreciation from my department," said Swartwood, also noting his selection as the Officer of the Year.

Other award winners:

Jeff Rott, Tamar Rein, Ruben Arias and Nadar Oweis

Police dispatchers Jeff Rott and Tamar Rein radioed patrol officers and informed them of the call during the incident on Dec. 14, 2004. Along with Swartwood, Officer Ruben Arias, and then-Detective Sgt. Nader Oweis responded to the area. Rott and Rein were chosen for the Distinguished Service Commendation, and Arias and Oweis for the Distinguished Service Medal.

Greg Hoeger

Hoeger, a captain and assistant fire marshal at UC Davis, was dining at Spenger's Fish Grotto in Berkeley last November when a nearby diner, Liselle Clark, suddenly passed out with her heart appearing to stop. Hoeger quickly administered CPR, getting her heart rate up. Eventually, paramedics arrived and she was taken to a hospital where she recovered fully. Hoeger also received a Certificate of Recognition for Extraordinary Personal Action from the Yolo County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Jennifer Garcia

Police Sgt. Garcia was working at the Medical Center in December 2004 when she saw a man in a parking area who was in the process of hanging himself. He was unconscious and not moving. Garcia saw the rope was tied with a slip knot; she immediately untied the knot, loosening the rope from around the man's neck. She supported him as he slid to the ground, and radioed for assistance, which arrived shortly.

Police Chief Annette Spicuzza said,"I learned after this happened that Officer Garcia bumped into this man a few days later and he thanked her for saving his life." She received a Life Saving Medal.

Rebecca Nord

Nord, an organizational development consultant, received a Citizens Appreci-ation Medal for introducing a competency interview model to administrators at the Office of Administration to use in the sergeant and lieutenant promotional processes. She trained the interview panels on application of the competency model to assure fair, objective and successful selections.

Patricia Harvey, Nancy Lewis and Javier Barragan

Harvey is a planner in Patient Services and Medical Records at the Medical Center, Lewis is a clinical nurse, and Barragan is a UC Davis police sergeant. In March 2005, they all responded to a woman who had just suffered an apparent heart attack. Harvey and Lewis both received the Citizen's Appreciation Award, and Barragan, a Life Saving Medal.

Marilyn Winston

In January 2005, Winston, a medical assistant with the Medical Center, observed a woman physically abusing a small child in the Glassrock Building. She followed the woman and then blocked the car so the woman could not leave. Officers arrived within minutes. Winston was honored with a Citizen's Appreciation Award.

Other recognitions

Several other campus members were honored, including Jennifer Contreras, a purchasing assistant and coordinator, who was recognized as the police department's Employee of the Year and dispatcher Cathy Jo Deusenberry, named Dispatcher of the Year. The program also recognized the Cal Aggie Hosts, a student-oriented organization that serves the campus by providing escorts and staffing for events. Those honored were students Garrett Brugh, Robert Odell, Bao Mai, David Carnahan, Ryan Fabian, Matt Coker, Brittney McClain, Razia Shaikh and The Tran.