Last week I had the pleasure of being on hand for the kick off the very first “Florida Sheriffs Commanders Academy.” The Academy was designed by the Sheriffs to ensure that staff who are assigned command responsibility have the background and information they need to carry out their responsibilities. The program was developed in conjunction with the Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute and is taught primarily by Sheriffs and their key staff. FSA President Sheriff Grady Judd was also there to welcome the 31 commanders from the more than 19 different Sheriff’s offices across state. During the two-week program, the commanders are presented information on leadership, ethics, Government in the Sunshine, managing the Office of Sheriff, employee relations, effective discipline, fiscal administration and civil litigation, along with topics exclusive to operations of their offices, such as jail administration, civil process management, warrants and extradition coordination, and courthouse security. The program is held at the Florida Public Safety Institute, a Criminal Justice Standards & Training – approved training center located in Havana, Florida. For more information on the program please contact FSA Law Enforcement Coordinator David Brand at 850-877-2165 or at dbrand@flsheriffs.org. In closing, I want to thank everyone who has been involved in the development of the program to date. I feel confident that this program will assist Sheriffs greatly in preparing our next generation of leaders to come.