Message from our Chairperson

FSA Chairperson Sheriff Sadie Darnell, Alachua County

At the Florida Sheriffs Association's most recent conference in Volusia County, we were reminded by speaker and trainer Stephen Gower to reflect upon “our starting point."  Take a minute now to recall your “starting point” in law enforcement. Maybe you remember, as I do, the sensory overload: loading the assigned vehicle with tons of gear, getting behind the wheel and heading out, watching the road, listening to the new 10-code language from the radio, making a mental note of my location every couple of minutes in case I got a call, looking for expired decals and other traffic violations so I could impress my training officer and going through the checklist of calls to handle before becoming solo.

Once solo, relishing the independence of being responsible for a zone and the autonomy of most decisions; but, also, learning and earning my way into what has become a life-long camaraderie.

Who would have thought from that “starting point” that one day we would be SHERIFF.  We carry huge responsibilities: to our communities, to our constituents, to our employees, to our profession – the list goes on and on. In each of our individual career paths, we were informal leaders and became formal leaders. We now have the responsibility to ensure that we develop leaders for the future of our community and Office. 

A recent speaker made an analogy between a “leader” and a “farmer."  As leaders and farmers, we prepare the soil. We select the best seeds and weed away the negative influences. We provide the necessary basics to foster growth; and are diligent every day to model the way for continued positive growth in the development of community guardians.

Each time we leave our conferences, it is a new “starting point."

As the incoming Chair for the Board of Directors I want reinforce the idea that our conferences give us a chance to reconnect, to learn from one another and to replenish ourselves as we go about this purposeful work.

I need your help and welcome your ideas, suggestions and input during this upcoming year. Please call me at 352-367-4019 or via email: sdarnell@alachuasheriff.org.

Thank you for the honor of serving as the Chair of the Board of Directors.

Sheriff Sadie Darnell
Alachua County