Charlie Jahr, the safety and emergency management coordinator at the University of Tennessee at Martin, was announced as the university’s representative in the annual Ohio Valley Conference Hoops for Heroes Initiative.
Jahr served 17 years in the UT Martin Department of Public Safety, from 2006 to 2023. During the last seven years of his service there, Jahr assumed a leadership role in training and department operations.
“My law enforcement career provided a great opportunity to serve as an ambassador for the university while interacting with a wide range of people,” he said. “I was fortunate to gain valuable experience and specialized training, and I credit much of that to the mentors I had within the department.
“One of my top priorities was building strong relationships with students, faculty, staff and the community, and that is something I always tried to instill in new officers as well.”
In 2023, Jahr became the safety and emergency management coordinator for the university, where he is responsible for emergency planning and response for the campus. In that position, he also focuses on overall campus safety to help ensure that students, faculty, staff and visitors have a safe place to live, work and learn.
Jahr earned his bachelor’s degree in university studies from UT Martin in 2006 and graduated with a master’s degree in criminal justice from UT Martin in 2023. He also obtained a graduate certificate in emergency management from UT Martin in 2024.
Other members of the 2026 OVC Hoops for Heroes group are Kiel Schaljo, fire department lieutenant, Eastern Illinois University; Charles L. Griffin, Navy veteran, Lindenwood University; Patrick Dalton, Navy veteran, University of Arkansas at Little Rock; John Northcutt, assistant fire chief, Morehead State University; Chase Porter, Marine Corps veteran, Southeast Missouri State University; Ronald Swaim, Army veteran, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville; Michael Barrentine, Army National Guard, University of Southern Indiana; Reginald Green, Navy veteran, Tennessee State University; Kiera Hill, police department, Tennessee Technological University; and Rodney Burg, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, Western Illinois University.
Previous UT Martin Hoops for Heroes honorees included Lloyd Thomas (2025), Roy Wiley (2023), Chuck Hammer (2022), Joe Exum (2020), Marcus VanCleave (2019), Led Symmes (2018), Terry Ward (2017), Corey Scates (2016), Ed Baker (2015), Jenny Harrison (2014), Wayne Alexander (2013), Vincent Newsome (2012) and Col. Bill Kaler (2011).
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) of each OVC member institution selects a Hoops for Heroes representative and invites that person to attend the OVC Basketball Championships, where they are honored as a group during the tournaments.
Begun in 2011 and now in its 15th year, Hoops for Heroes is an initiative that was created jointly by the Ohio Valley Conference and SAACs at member institutions in order to honor military men and women in OVC communities. In 2025, first responders who also serve the universities’ communities were included in the honor.
For more information about UT Martin, visit www.utm.edu or call 1-800-829-UTM1 (-8861).
PHOTO: Those in attendance for this year’s announcement of the OVC Hoops for Heroes members are (l-r) Blake Connstetter, OVC assistant commissioner for championships; Kiel Schaljo, Eastern Illinois; Charles L. Griffin, Lindenwood; John Northcutt, Morehead State; Chase Porter, Southeast Missouri; Ronald Swaim, SIU-Edwardsville; Michael Barrentine, Southern Indiana; Reginald Green, Tennessee State; Charlie Jahr, UT Martin; Rodney Burg, Western Illinois; Katie Risewick, OVC assistant commissioner for compliance and championships; and acting Commissioner Greg Walter, who is also the associate commissioner for football, basketball and baseball. Not pictured are Patrick Dalton, Little Rock, and Kiera Hill, Tennessee Tech.
