Today will always be special to me because Jan. 8 is the day I started working at the Floyd County Sheriff's Office. Twenty-four years later, I still remember everything about that day.
When I walked in, the late Sgt. Jane McCollum asked my age and told me I looked like a baby. I was 21 years old and after growing up in the law enforcement community and learning so much from my father, who had a 40-year career with the Rome Police Department, I looked forward to beginning my own career in service to the people of Floyd County.
Tommy Rickman was Sheriff at the time. I started my first shift as a jail officer with then-Sgts. Rickey Agan and Nancy Canada. Since the beginning, I’ve had the opportunity to work with Tim Burkhalter, Tommy McGuire, and Richard Argo, who are now not only great friends, but also colleagues on our current Command Staff under Sheriff Burkhalter’s leadership.
I met my wife, T, and some of my greatest friends thanks to my career with the Sheriff’s Office. I grew as a person and as an employee because of the mentors I have served alongside. I’ve been given opportunities to lead, and it is my hope that I’ve helped and inspired others just as my own mentors have helped and inspired me. My love for this community, its residents, and my colleagues has only grown through the years, and that is why I’m running for Sheriff. I want what’s best for everyone, and I am confident that together we can do great things for Floyd County.
This day – Jan. 8 – set me on a path that has brought me personal and professional fulfillment, and because of that I will forever be grateful that I pursued a career with the Sheriff’s Office.
- Dave
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