OGDEN — Assistant Police Chief Marcy Korgenski will retire March 15 after 30 years with the Ogden Police Department.
Korgenski, the city’s first female assistant chief, said she has enjoyed her work in law enforcement but wants to spend more time with family and concentrate on volunteer activities in the Ogden area.
“I’ve had a wonderful 30-year career,” Korgenski, 55, said Monday.
Korgenski initially applied for Ogden’s vacant police chief position but withdrew her name from consideration. The decision not to seek the job caused Korgenski to reflect on her lengthy career and played a role in her decision to retire, she said.
“It’s good timing. I’ve had a respectable career.”
Mayor Mike Caldwell said he’s sad Korgenski is stepping down.
“She is a proven commodity at the police department, and her leadership will be missed,” he said in a prepared statement.
Korgenski, a Southern California native, joined the department in 1982 as a patrol officer. She helped establish the OPD’s gang unit in 1991 and has worked in virtually every division within the department, including vice, investigations, intelligence gathering and community policing.
Korgenski was promoted to patrol sergeant in 1995, lieutenant in 1999 and assistant chief in 2010, becoming the first woman in the OPD to hold each of those posts.
As an assistant chief, Korgenski is in charge of the OPD’s Investigation Division, selective enforcement, training and records operations, as well as personnel assigned to the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force.
Korgenski is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Weber State University.
Korgenski said while her job has been rewarding, the January line-of-duty death of Officer Jared Francom and the wounding of five others during a raid by the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force was one of the most tragic events of her career.
“It’s so sad, with all that has happened,” she said. “But I am grateful that we have had kind community support.”
Korgenski said retirement will allow her to dedicate more time to volunteering with various community organizations.
She currently serves on the Swanson Foundation Advisory Board, the Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Committee, the GOAL Foundation, the Ogden Noon Exchange Club Executive Board and Weber State’s Child and Family Service’s Advisory Board.
She is also a mentor for players on Weber State’s women’s basketball team and serves as a trustee for Youth Impact, an Ogden nonprofit organization aiming to have a positive impact on the lives of at-risk youths.
Among Korgenski’s awards are Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce’s 2011 Athena Award, Youth Impact’s Volunteer of the Year, Rotary Club’s Outstanding Selfless Dedication and Public Service Award, the Mattie Harris Spirit of the American Woman Award, and Ogden City Police Department’s Distinguished Service Award.
She is married to Ted Korgenski. They have five children and nine grandchildren.
Korgenski said she will most miss working with the police department’s personnel.
“Our officers are dedicated professionals who take our citizens’ safety seriously,” she said.
“I am very proud to have been a member of the Ogden Police Department for 30 years.”
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