Dear Sheriffs and Friends of our Association:

I will always believe that Andy Griffith had it right. Law enforcement's primary duty is to make life better for the community. This can be accomplished by methods such as enforcement, community policing, hiring and training officers that are invested in the community they serve, policies that demonstrate respect for all persons, and many others. They all have a common theme: caring about the people we serve. With Andy in mind, I view the president of our association as the person charged with focusing on serving you, my fellow sheriffs, as well as continuing to serve our community.

With that in mind, my goals are relatively simple:

1) Communication with membership: Make the Sheriffs Association business transparent to every member. We cannot be effective if our membership is not well informed. This should include our position on legislation, serious issues facing any sheriff and/or all sheriffs, and our current and projected financial status.

2) Focused influence on legislation: Bringing the influence of each member to bear on legislation that has an impact on our ability to serve the community. The District Directors will be charged with keeping sheriffs in their district informed and involved.

3) Establishing a plan for the future: Planning for where we want to be in five, ten, and fifteen years. The Executive Committee and the Executive Director must meet often and with the guidance of all members develop that plan. The Executive Committee will also assure continuity from one year to the next so we can maintain a forward motion.

Being a sheriff in our great state has given me the greatest satisfaction I have known in my professional life. I understand how blessed my life is to be your president. My solemn pledge is to remember that my job is to serve you.

Grover