It  was awarded to Cameron Ponder, a Kentucky State Trooper killed in the line of duty in 2015, at a ceremony held in Lexington on June 17. Gov. Matt Bevin presented the award to Brenda Tiffany and Joseph Ponder, parents of Trooper Ponder. The Governor’s Medal of Valor is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an officer of the Kentucky State Police for conspicuous heroism in the line of duty under circumstances of extreme personal hazard.