“I’m not good with computers,” the student said uncertainly.”But you’re good at designing,” the officer replied, subtly restoring the young man’s confidence.

This exchange between School Resource Officer Clifford L. Hudson and a student attending University School located on the ETSU campus is just an example of the types of conversations Hudson has with students and faculty members on his average day of work.

A man with an outgoing and jovial personality, Hudson was warmly greeted by a steady stream of students of varying ages. He speaks or jokes with all of them, but what is more noteworthy is that he knows each and every one of their names.

An employee of ETSU’s Department of Public Safety, Hudson has three main responsibilities. In addition to being an active officer on duty, he serves as an unofficial counselor and advisor to the students, and he is certified to give lectures in the school and in the community.

“This job is like a three-legged stool,” Hudson said. “It’s a chance to build relationships with the students, the faculty, the administration, and the parents.” He also stressed the importance of Public Safety establishing and maintaining a relationship with the school and the community.

The 49-year-old Hudson had previously worked as a patrolman for the Cleve-land Police Department’s 6th district force in Ohio. There he engaged in activities ranging from writing parking tickets to responding to homicides.

Cleveland is also where he met his wife, Myrna, whom he has been married to for 12 years. She was a veteran of the force and he was a rookie.

“My first impression was that she was the meanest woman I’d ever met,” Hudson said, laughing.

Later, Hudson moved with his wife from Cleveland, Ohio to Cleveland, Tenn., where he lived for seven years working as an officer at the local police department. Hudson noted that the officers there were “the most dedicated group of men I had ever worked with up until that time.”

Later, they moved to Johnson City when he took a job at the Department of Correction Internal Affairs unit. Hudson praised the men and women there, citing them as the most professional group with whom he has worked.

Then, in a move that Hudson attributes to his faith, he left that position after a year to pursue his goal of being a positive role model for children.

Initially, Hudson was a security guard at ETSU. While he worked only weekends, he was in a position to be considered for his current station. When Hudson was named school resource officer, he conducted research in the field and online, and he interviewed colleagues and associates so that he would be prepared for the position. “I really did my homework,” he said.

Hudson works with a group called the Explorers, a club that he described as a “career-development ladder” that he oversees at the school. He also spoke admiringly about the faculty at the school. “The staff here is phenomenal,” he said. “I think we have a really good working relationship.”

With respect to Public Safety, Hudson said he was impressed with how knowledgeable and experienced the officers are. He referred to them as the “finest group” he has ever worked with.

The modest manner in which Hudson conducts himself is perhaps best summed up by his youngest son, Michael, a student at ETSU and an assistant basketball coach at the middle school. “He’s a good man with too many priorities,” he said. “He’s too busy for himself.

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