NICEVILLE, Fla. — Two Northwest Florida law enforcement supervisors are among 44 graduates of the Florida Leadership Academy, Class 60, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has announced.
Pierre Batiste of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) and Fred Currid of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) completed the program, which is designed to prepare first-line supervisors for leadership roles in criminal justice agencies across the state.
The graduates took part in four week-long training sessions at the Clermont Arts and Recreation Center. According to the FDLE, participants learned skills to support their agencies and communities while preparing for future challenges.
The Florida Leadership Academy’s goal is to help supervisors exemplify the character and integrity expected of criminal justice professionals and to examine the components needed to be effective leaders.
The Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute, which runs the program, was established by the Florida Legislature in 1990 and is affiliated with the State University System. It operates within the FDLE to provide education and training to criminal justice professionals statewide.
Florida Leadership Academy Class 60 graduates:
■ Russel Ackerman — Bradenton Police Department
■ Leonard Arnold — Eustis Police Department
■ Pierre Batiste — Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office
■ Ethan Bell — Clermont Police Department
■ Richard Blanchard — Lake County Sheriff’s Office
■ Tara Brubaker — Seminole County Sheriff’s Office
■ Tommy Capobianco — Florida Department of Law Enforcement
■ Jeffrey Chandler — Pasco Sheriff’s Office
■ Christopher Cline — Florida Department of Corrections
■ Jorge Coello — Winter Garden Police Department
■ Kimberly E. Cone — Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office
■ Anthony M. Cooper — Jacksonville Beach Police Department
■ Fred Currid — Walton County Sheriff’s Office
■ Andrew Cusick — Casselberry Police Department
■ Kasie Daugherty — Polk County Sheriff’s Office
■ Anthony Dobosiewicz — Florida Highway Patrol
■ Richard Felton — Marion County Sheriff’s Office
■ Joshua Fried — Ocala Police Department
■ Sanjeev Gopaul — Clermont Police Department
■ Jason Haines — Neptune Beach Police Department
■ Jason D. Hicks — Indian Shores Police Department
■ Jacob Higginbotham — Putnam County Sheriff’s Office
■ Justin Johnson — Clay County Sheriff’s Office
■ Melissa Kurtz — Highlands County Sheriff’s Office
■ Tristen Lahr — Auburndale Police Department
■ Grant McMullen — Escambia County Sheriff’s Office
■ Christopher Mobley — St. John’s County Sheriff’s Office
■ Caleb Odom — Escambia County Sheriff’s Office
■ Russel S. Peña — Groveland Police Department
■ Michael Rice — Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
■ Jason Sadler — Melbourne Beach Police Department
■ Abisai Sanchez — Mount Dora Police Department
■ Tara Shea — Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office
■ Ally Shepherd — Consolidated Dispatch Agency
■ Kenneth Stinson — Indian River County Sheriff’s Office
■ Mikaela Strickland-Shirah — Bonifay Police Department
■ Tamika Tinsley — Orange County Corrections Department
■ Don Triebell — Satellite Beach Police Department
■ Jason Turner — Volusia Sheriff’s Office
■ Windy Vater — Pinellas Park Police Department
■ William “Drew” Vickers — St. Petersburg Police Department
■ Christopher Whelan — Escambia County Corrections
■ Jesse E. Williams — Bay County Sheriff’s Office
■ Travis Williams — Brevard County Sheriff’s Office
