By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
The Brandon School District will be honoring two alumni on Sept. 27 as Distinguished Alumni. The two being inducted will be Tim Purdy and Jami McDermid.
“As superintendent, I am extremely proud to be honoring Jami McDermid and Tim Purdy on our Ed and Diane Donaldson Distinguished Alumni Wall of Fame,” said Brandon Superintendent Dr. Matt Outlaw. “They have done great things as Brandon graduates and will serve as wonderful role models for our students for years to come.”
Tim Purdy is a police officer in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C. He went viral after a photo circulated of him sitting and talking with an autistic, suicidal boy.

“It’s beyond words sometimes,” said Purdy. “It’s very humbling, to be honored by your school after so many years, it’s an incredible honor. To think that we’ve been out of high school for so long, for them to think that highly of me just means the world to me.”
Jami McDermid is being honored for her achievements in business. She is the current president of Crossmark, a sales agency. Previously, she was the vice president at MillerCoors, Diageo and Seagram Limited.
“It is an honor without parallel for me,” said McDermid. “I am humbled and grateful to have been considered for and selected to receive this recognition.”
The Ed and Diane Donaldson Distinguished Alumni Wall of Fame was started in 2015, and is to honor graduates from Brandon and Ortonville who have
exemplary achievements.
“As a district, this program will provide a strong link between our past and our present,” said Outlaw. “Who we are as a district today, is a result of the efforts of those that came before us.”