Education KY public schools; Eastern Kentucky University, AA degree, Criminal Justice; Nova University; Florida Southern University; Southern Police Institute; Florida Department of Law Enforcement Academy; numerous other law enforcement academies

Wife Bonnie

Children Two

Church Baptist

Career Berea, KY Police Department, four years; Naples, FL Police Department, four years; National Automobile Theft Bureau, seven years; Florida Department of Law Enforcement, 19 years; elected Sheriff, Columbia County, 2004

Military US Army, two tours in Vietnam

Major Jim Wells – Chief of Staff 

• Columbia County Sheriff’s Office for 21 years.  Started as a Deputy and has moved through the ranks to include Investigator, Sergeant, Lt and Captain. He has spent more than 15 years in investigations.
• Service in the US Army from 1971-73 – Honorable Discharge
• He’s also worked for:

•  Lake City PD  - 5 ½ years 
•  Miami of Ohio University, Investigator
•  Florida Department of Corrections – 1 ½ years

• Bachelors Degree in Organizational Management
• Married, two children, 6 grandchildren 

Captain Wallace Kitchings – Patrol Division

• Columbia County Sheriff’s Office for 20 years.  Started as a Deputy and quickly went to work with the Patrol Canine program and Special Weapons & Tactical Team.
• Promoted to Sgt in 1991 and then to Lt, in 1997 where he supervised School Resource Officers and worked in drug investigators.
• 1999 was promoted to Capt. of the Law Enforcement Division.
• Graduate of Columbia High School
• Married, one child

Captain Doug Johns – Columbia County Jail 

• Community Control Officer with the Department of Corrections, Probation/Patrol in Lake City.
• Corrections Officer, Florida Department of Corrections and moved up to Classification Officer, Florida Reception Center in Lake Butler. Total of 18 years with Department of Corrections.
• Joined the Army National Guard in 1979 and earned a commission in 1984.
• Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice
• Married, two children, Member of Hopeful Baptist Church & Member of the Christian Motorcyclist Association

Kelly Crews – Comptroller 

• Columbia County Sheriff’s Office for 20 years.  Began her employment as an administrative assistant and was promoted to Comptroller in 1989.
• More than 25 years of service in County Government
• Vast knowledge of financial operations!!
• Attended Jones College, Lake City Community College and the University of Florida.
• Married, two children, two grandchildren

Laurie Windham – Executive Assistant & PIO 

• Came to the Sheriff’s Office from the Chamber of Commerce where she was Assistant Executive Director – 2 ½ years
• Director of Marketing & Public Relations at Lake City Medical Center – 5 years
• Owned & Operated Construction Company
• Police Reporter – 4 years
• Bachelors Degree in Journalism
• One daughter

Beverly Jackson – Human Resources Director

• Columbia County Sheriff’s Office for 25 years and has worked as the grants coordinator, in the records and investigation divisions and as executive secretary to the Sheriff, in addition to Human Resources
• Columbia High School graduate, attended Lake City Community College and the Institute of Religion.
• Member of and very active in, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
• Married, two children, two grandchildren