Boston, MA

The Boston Division has selected Mr. Bob Ward to receive the Director’s Community Leadership Award.

As a reporter for FOX 25 News, Bob Ward has worked closely with the Boston Division of the FBI on many of New England's unsolved cases. Through New England Unsolved, which began in 1997, and Mass Most Wanted, which began in 2005, Mr. Ward's stories have helped publicize unsolved cases and have helped elicit new tips and new leads that might otherwise not have been uncovered.

Over the years, through his work on New England Unsolved, Mr. Ward has worked with the FBI on dozens of unsolved cases, including the disappearance of Whitey Bulger, the Gardner Art Heist, the U-30 Bandit, and the search for Philip and Sarah Gehring. Through his work on Mass Most Wanted segments, which average about two FBI cases per month, he has profiled approximately 120 FBI investigations. Five of those cases were picked up nationally by FOX News Channel or America's Most Wanted, which resulted in tips that led to a resolution in all five cases.

Mr. Ward’s work has led him to partnering with the Boston Division of the FBI, but has also enabled him to forge relationships with law enforcement communities in New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island.

A 2006 graduate of the Citizens’ Academy Program, Mr. Ward has worked tirelessly to promote the FBI while at the same time fostering a beneficial dialogue between the FBI and the media community. For all of the above reasons, Mr. Bob Ward is truly deserving of the Boston Division's Director's Community Leadership Award for 2009.