Robert R. Wells, special agent in charge of the Charlotte Division of the FBI has chosen a local cyber expert as the 2020 Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) recipient for North Carolina. Torry Crass has been an invaluable partner to the FBI Charlotte field office since 2013. As a member of the Charlotte InfraGard Chapter, he was instrumental in creating the first Cyber Camp for high school students to learn technical skills and aptitudes for information technology and security—now a national program. In 2020, with the unique challenges of operating during the pandemic, in an effort to minimize the number of cancelled camps nationwide, Mr. Crass took the lead to assemble a team that has created an online virtual environment for the camps. His work is ensuring students around the country will be able to continue to have access to nationally recognized Cyber Camp programs in a whole new way.

Since 1990, through the DCLA, the FBI has publicly recognized the achievements of individuals and organizations who go above and beyond the call to service by making extraordinary contributions to their communities in the areas of terrorism, cyber, drug, gang, or violence prevention and education. Congratulations Mr. Torry Crass!