Moss Will Not Grow Under My Feet

I have spent the better part of my career working toward the goal of becoming the Sheriff of Laramie County. In that time, I have worked in or gained integral knowledge of every aspect of the organization. Once my goal is achieved, I will represent the office in a manner that brings credit to it. But knowledge is just one portion of what is necessary to be the Sheriff of Laramie County; how to apply it and the type of leadership to use to guide the organization forward fills in the rest. As your next Laramie County Sheriff, you can expect a working sheriff who is deeply in touch with all of the department staff to include the jail staff.

Due to the number of years that I have worked with Sheriff Glick, some may think that my administration will just be the 2.0 version of his administration. Nothing could be further from the truth as we are two very different people and we each have separate and defining experiences and training that make us who we are. One of the highlights of my law enforcement career was attending the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA where I spent three months immersed in various graduate level leadership courses to include one on emotional intelligence which has been extremely beneficial to me. It taught me how to understand and manage my own emotions as well as those I supervise and guide. This skill is one which lends itself well to the high stress situations law enforcement professionals face on a daily basis.

I have learned a great deal from Sheriff Glick over the past 27 years, for which I will be forever grateful; however, I feel the challenges faced by our community going forward will benefit from the unique skill set developed over my career. I have a broad range of knowledge as my background consists of not only working as a deputy in the jail and on patrol, but leading both areas and doing so in a manner that has allowed me to bridge the gap that separated them for years. Both of these critical areas within the agency are now closer than they have ever been and are working together and supporting one another. As Sheriff, I will continue to foster this trend and ensure this camaraderie continues to grow by spending time with staff throughout the department, and being available to them as I have done in each of the ranks that I have held throughout my career. One of the things that sets me apart from Sheriff Glick is my servant leadership style which gives me the ability to connect one-on-one with the staff and give them a feeling of support and understanding which lends itself to improved morale. The younger generations, which make up the bulk of our personnel, tend to respond better to someone who is able to give them the sense that their voices are heard and that they are cared about. I am a people person who enjoys and thrives on personal contact not only within the agency but the community as well. My entire life has been spent in one way or another connecting with the citizens of this county and building relationships with the various civic and non-profit organizations that help the community grow and prosper. I have been a church elder for 4 years, board chair for Safe Harbor Children's Justice Center for nine years, served on the board and current member of the Cheyenne Kiwanis Club for over eight years, former board member Special Friends, and have been affiliated with or volunteered for numerous other civic organizations throughout the community. As your next sheriff, you can expect me to continue to work with these organizations to reach our shared goal: to make this the best community to live and raise a family. I will also continue to be very active and visible within rural Laramie County and spend time out in the various communities to ensure that I understand the challenges the citizens face and help develop solutions to overcome them. I feel as sheriff one of my duties is to attend the various town council meetings personally as often as possible so that each of these communities’ experiences first hand my commitment to their well-being. I also have high expectations for those who will occupy the various command level positions within my administration and will challenge them to be active in the various community organizations. As the old saying goes, “moss will not grow under my feet''.