I am a third generation native of Fort Myers and graduated from North Fort Myers High School in 1981. I then attended Edison Community College from ’81 – ’83 and secured an Associate Degree in Business before transferring to the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa. I graduated from USF in 1985 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. I also earned an MBA with a concentration in Public Administration.

I have been a certified law enforcement officer in the State of Florida for thirty-one (31) years. My career in criminal justice started with the Florida Department of Corrections in 1986 as a Probation & Parole Officer. In this capacity, I supervised felony offenders sentenced to community supervision and conducted pre and post-sentence investigations for the Courts. As well, I prepared formal violation of probation reports for the Courts and testified regularly to non-compliance issues including technical and “new-law” violations. I also accompanied and assisted law enforcement authorities on numerous search warrants and arrest operations.

In 1988, I joined the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and entered the S.W. Florida Criminal Justice Academy in Fort Myers, Florida where I successfully completed all requirements for my statewide certification as a law enforcement officer…a certification I keep active to this day. My training continued throughout my career and covers an array of advanced disciplines to include Field Training Officer, Employment Law, Organizational Ethics, Managing Cops from the Biggest Generation, Risk Management, Stress Management in Law Enforcement, Use of Force, Interview Techniques, Human Diversity, Civil & Domestic Intervention, and Conflict Resolution. I have extensive training in firearms, chemical agent, taser, and batons. My formal training also includes Laser/Radar Instructor, Traffic Homicide Investigator, Traffic Crash Reconstructionist, Elder Abuse, and Human Trafficking. In June 2010, I graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA. In 2004, I was elected Sheriff by a large margin of Lee County voters. I was re-elected by overwhelming majorities in ’08, ’12, and ’16 before retiring in late 2018. During my four (4) terms as Sheriff, I attended many seminars for executive leadership and conferred with Sheriffs and Police Chiefs across the country on a regular basis discussing trends and best practices. As Sheriff of Lee County, I oversaw the 24/7 law enforcement and corrections operations carried out by more than 1,500 employees and managed an annual operating budget of more than $180 million dollars.

In addition to the wide variety of public safety responsibilities and community engagements associated with one of the largest jurisdictions in Florida, I managed and operated one of the largest law enforcement/corrections training facilities in the state. Additionally, my ongoing participation in the Florida Sheriffs Association including bi-annual, statewide training conferences with my fellow Sheriffs, serves me well with current trends, best practices, legal updates, risk management, and reviews of law enforcement action in Florida and beyond which allows me to evaluate police procedure, including determinations of probable cause for arrest.