Florida Sheriffs Association Names New President

August 08, 2013

Tallahassee, Fla. (August 7, 2013) – The Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA), one of the largest and most successful state law-enforcement associations in the nation, is pleased to announce Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd has been elected as President of FSA. Sheriff Judd will be responsible for presiding over the association, working with the staff and board of directors to guide the efforts and direction of the 119-year old non-profit organization and its 67 Sheriffs.

Sheriff Judd has served as chair for the FSA Board of Directors in addition to holding the positions of treasurer, secretary and most recently, vice-president. Judd also serves as Chair of the Florida Sheriffs Taskforce, which pools resources from the 67 Sheriffs’ Offices to address specific areas of concern, such as cyber sexual predators, outstanding felony warrants and underage alcohol, tobacco and drug use.

“Sheriff Judd was selected for this position because of his extensive experience in various roles within law enforcement,” said FSA Executive Director Steve Casey. “He brings more than 40 years of experience, a highly successful tenure as a leader, as well as multiple honors and awards.”


Sheriff Judd joined the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in 1972, where he quickly rose through the ranks – holding every position from Sergeant to Colonel. In 2004, Sheriff Judd was overwhelmingly elected as Polk County Sheriff and has subsequently been re-elected in 2008 and 2012. Sheriff Judd made national headlines in 2006, when he made a statement about an individual that had shot and killed an officer, stating the only reason the suspect was shot 68 times was because the SWAT team ran out of bullets. Sheriff Judd holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in criminal justice from Rollins College and  is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the Senior Management Institute for Police, the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar and the FBI National Executive Institute. He continues to serve the Polk County community on several boards and committees, including the Volunteers in Service to the Elderly (VISTE) and Polk Vision.  Sheriff Judd has been married to his wife of 40 years, Marisa, and together, they have two sons and eight grandchildren.


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