Appointees critical for a smooth sheriff's office

EPHRATA - The succession of the office of Grant County Sheriff

is a bit different than the office of President of the United

States. When a county sheriff becomes incapacitated for any reason

the county coroner will assume the office of sheriff as in RCW

36.24.010, which says the coroner is to act as sheriff under

certain conditions.

EPHRATA - The succession of the office of Grant County Sheriff is a bit different than the office of President of the United States. When a county sheriff becomes incapacitated for any reason the county coroner will assume the office of sheriff as in RCW 36.24.010, which says the coroner is to act as sheriff under certain conditions. Plus there is a process in place for appointing the next sheriff.

But Mr. Clay's challenge wasn't about the line of succession. His challenge was for me to write a guest editorial and list the appointees I plan to put in place if elected. Also, describe the qualifications, which make each one the best person for the job.

I am proud to say my present appointees are fit for the job and have the qualifications making them the best person for the position. Let me go through them one-by-one:

Undersheriff John Turley

John has been involved in law enforcement for 21 years. He has served as a patrol deputy, patrol sergeant and chief deputy of patrol. He is currently serving as my undersheriff and assists in the day-to-day operations of the sheriff's office.

He is a 2008 graduate of the Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigations National Academy, Class 233. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree, FBI/Criminal Justice Command College certification, mid-level management certification, and first level management certification. He is my liaison with the U.S. Marshal's office, directly supervises the Major Crimes Unit and the gang task force.

Chief Deputy Courtney Conklin

Courtney has spent 19 years in law enforcement. He is a graduate of Ephrata High School and has an FBI/Criminal Justice Command College, mid-level management certification and an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice from Monterey Peninsula College, California. He is my chief deputy of patrol and has served as patrol sergeant, patrol deputy, corrections officer and a United States Army Combat Medic. Courtney was instrumental in passing the Alcohol Ban Ordinance for the Off-road Vehicle Parks in Grant County.

Chief Deputy Dave Ponozzo

Dave has been in law enforcement for 22-years. He is my Chief Financial Officer and is responsible for the day-to-day operation of our budget. He has a long list of certifications including FBI/Criminal Justice Command College, executive level certification, mid-level management certification and first level management certification. He is a prior Washington State Penitentiary corrections officer with certification, a certified K-9 handler, hostage/crisis intervention negotiator, Regional Reserve Law Enforcement Academy Commander and a member of the Columbia Basin Foundation and North Central Washington Regional Support Network.

Chief Deputy Pete McMahon

Pete has spent 29-years with the Grant County Sheriff's Office serving under five different elected sheriffs. He has been the Chief of Corrections for 26-years and is responsible for the management of the main jail and work release facility with control of a daily average inmate population of 235. Pete is also accountable for the oversight of a $4.3 million budget and 40 certified correctional officers and 10 support staff. He is a former reserve deputy sheriff and has certifications in Correctional Management, first and second level supervision, executive management and FBI/Criminal Justice Command College.

Chief Administrative Deputy Leslie Gonzales

Leslie is a former emergency dispatcher for the Grant County Sheriff's Office and Ephrata Police Department, a former reserve deputy with the Quincy Police Department and the Grant County Sheriff's Office and she served as records clerk for the sheriff's office.She served as Administrative Assistant to the Sheriff by the previous sheriff and was re-appointed as Chief Administrative Deputy at the beginning of my tenure in 2002. Leslie has personnel management duties over 115 full-time employees, 24 reserve deputies and 47 Search and Rescue, Sheriff's Posse and Explorer personnel. She also provides direct leadership over the civil and records divisions, office staff and is back up to the fiscal manager for the sheriff's office. She has 1,600 mid-management training hours,

As you can see I have been fortunate to surround myself with not only some of the best law enforcement personnel in the State of Washington to serve in the Grant County Sheriff's Office, but also top notch appointees to manage and administrate the organization at the top level.