On Friday, April 19, 2024, FBI Director Christopher Wray presented Dr. Mehmet Ulupinar with the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) for his service to the citizens of Little Rock through his work as president of the board for the Arkansas Culture and Dialog Center (ACDC). ACDC is a nonprofit organization that aims to promote the understanding of diverse cultures through its unique services it offers to the community.

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.

“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.”

Dr. Ulupinar tirelessly works to foster relationships between diverse communities and law enforcement in Arkansas by providing easily accessible educational, social, and cultural services at ACDC. Dr. Ulupinar assists the FBI in pushing key safety concerns to minority youth and adults throughout Central Arkansas through trainings and networking events with the goal of creating a more safe and connected community.

“I am extremely humbled to be one of the 2023 FBI DCLA recipients,” said Mehmet Ulupinar. “As an immigrant to this country, I am fascinated by the words of the Pledge of Allegiance, specifically where we recite “with liberty and justice for all.” What a powerful commitment that is! It prompts me to think about what I can do for my neighbors, for my community, and for other human beings to preserve and exercise liberty and justice for all. The answer I found to this question is to get involved, serve, and be a part of the solution.”

“Dr. Ulupinar is a treasured asset to our community,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Corder. “His passion for fostering prosperous relationships between law enforcement and minority groups in Arkansas is deeply appreciated by myself and many others. FBI Little Rock is proud to partner with community leaders like Dr. Ulupinar.”

Director Wray hosted the 2023 DCLA winners in a special ceremony at FBI Headquarters on April 19, emphasizing the importance of community 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.

FBI Little Rock congratulates Dr. Mehmet Ulupinar and thanks him for working diligently to better our community.