On Friday, April 19, 2024, FBI Director Christopher Wray presented Mr. Dustin Larna with the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) for his service to the people of Alaska. Mr. Larna is the CEO of Residential Youth Care (RYC), a non-profit behavioral health provider that offers a continuum of care for adolescents and their families in Ketchikan and throughout Alaska. Mr. Larna and RYC team’s dedication to the safety and well-being of vulnerable youth, plus critical support provided to law enforcement in combatting crimes against children, have advanced the FBI’s mission of justice and victim support in Alaska. Additionally, in support of partnerships and educational programs, Mr. Larna engaged the FBI and other law enforcement partners for community and staff presentations related to Internet crimes against children and human trafficking.

“Our success as both a law enforcement and an intelligence agency hinges on our ability to foster and maintain genuine partnerships with people in all communities,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “People like this year’s Leadership Award recipients not only identify what others need, but they are willing to roll up their sleeves and provide services. They are building bridges and relationships while putting in the work to have hard conversations and find common purpose. They do it out of kindness and compassion with a sincere belief that justice – in its many forms – requires all of us to do the right thing in the right way.”

“There’s no doubt Mr. Larna’s contributions to victim services have had a direct and lasting impact on public safety in Alaska,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “From promoting a safe and supportive environment for victim disclosure to facilitating prevention and recovery programs for youth, we thank Mr. Larna and the RYC team for being a valued community partner in combatting crimes against children throughout Alaska.”

The FBI established the DCLA in 1990 to publicly acknowledge the achievements of those working to make a difference in their communities through the promotion of education and the prevention of crime and violence. Each year, one person or organization from each of the FBI’s 56 field offices is chosen to receive this prestigious award.

Director Wray hosted the 2023 DCLA winners in a special ceremony at FBI Headquarters on April 19th, emphasizing the importance of partnerships in keeping our shared communities safe. These partnerships—as exemplified by the breadth of the work by the DCLA recipients—have led to a host of crime prevention programs that protect the most vulnerable in our communities, educate families and businesses about cyber threats, and work to reduce violent crime in our neighborhoods. Learn more about the DCLA program, the FBI’s general outreach efforts, and the Anchorage Field Office online.