Education
B.A Criminal Justice - Saginaw Valley State University
Occupation/Experience
Detective - Midland County Sheriff / 21 years total employment
In addition to my extensive experience, I also have a strong educational background in criminal justice. I received a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from SVSU, and attended the Northeastern Police Academy.
I have been employed at the Midland County Sheriff's Office for 21 years. I started in Jail and Courthouse Security. I promoted to Road Patrol in 2004, followed by the Detective Bureau in 2013. I have served as the President and Vice President of the Patrol Deputies' Union where I gained valuable experience in labor contracts, budgeting, and HR and personnel issues.
I have dedicated my life to law enforcement and to our community, and I believe that I'm ready to lead the Midland County Sheriff's Office.
A Sheriff is ultimately accountable to the people who elect him or her and must strive to meet their expectations and earn their trust.
I believe the most important responsibility of any Sheriff is providing strong leadership and comradery to the office. If this occurs, and employees within the office feel empowered and supported to do their respective jobs, the office will function in a financially responsible, efficient, and transparent way. In turn, this leads to an office that provides quality service to our visitors, residents, and taxpayers.
Unfortunately, interest in law enforcement careers have seen a downward trend over the past several years. Our office has seen a significant decline in the number of applicants in both the road patrol and jail divisions. Retention of employees has also been trending in a negative direction as some have left for agencies that pay more, or have additional fringe benefits.
One thing that I will propose is working closely with our three unions to explore options that make our office more modern and appealing to candidates. I also believe we need to work hard to market our office, and to be intentional about sharing information about the Sheriff’s Office and what we have to offer. We want to attract and retain the best employees possible.
I have had the privilege of working for four different Sheriff's and learned from each. My experiences working for them has prepared me for this role.
First, law enforcement is a profession that is constantly changing. I will focus on listening, and working directly with our employees to ensure we are doing what is best for those we serve. While the Sheriff is the face of the organization, I believe that corroborating with the staff and being open-minded to new ideas and processes will ensure efficiency and relatability with the public.
I will also create a community engagement plan that includes new opportunities for dialogue and feedback between the Sheriff's Office and community stakeholders.
