Name: Gary Hester
Age: 49
Family: Wife, Sandra ("Sam"); children, son Corey, 23; daughter-in-law, Sandra 22; daughter, Adrianne, 20.
Resident: Longtime resident of Haines City.
Education: Graduate of Haines City High School, 1978; St. Leo University, bachelor's degree in criminology; University of Alabama, master of science degree in criminal justice.
Career: Chief of staff for the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
What does that mean? It means that I am second in command to the sheriff. It's like the COO that companies have; this is the same thing, only for the Sheriff's Office. I'm in charge of the entire operation. It's my job to carry out the vision and the direction of the sheriff for the agency.
How long have you been with the PCSO? February 2010 will be 31 years.
What's a typical day at the Sheriff's Office? A typical day would start around 7:30 a.m. and not likely end until 7 p.m. You never really can predict a day as a whole. Every morning we start off with a briefing call. The directors of the different divisions report any information that might need to be put out. With the square miles of Polk County being approximately 2,020, we have it broken down into five divisions. We have two large jails, one in Bartow and one in Frostproof. In addition to that, we provide full-service law enforcement to Dundee, Polk City, Eagle Lake, Fort Meade and Frostproof, through contracts with the sheriff. We're spread out all across the county.
What keeps you busy? There is a significant amount of paperwork - policy reviews, budgets. With just shy of 1,800 employees, there's a lot to keep busy.
What might folks not know about the PCSO and what you do? It's a people-centered business. We take any opportunity to interact with the community. We will make ourselves available to address the public about law enforcement issues and services, through community meetings.
With putting so many hours in, how do you get to spend time with your family? I've been married and in this business almost the same amount of years. This job does take precedence, especially when you are in a leadership role, with leadership responsibilities. My wife and I grew up in this business. She's been a big part of my success. Of all the things this job requires, she's been there to support me. She's a great mother. When duty calls, she's always available to pick up the slack.
Do you get to schedule a vacation? Yes, and especially when my kids were out of school and my wife was off - she's a school teacher - we spent time camping and doing church activities. I learned early on in this career that you need to interact with normal people. You are either interacting with a victim of a crime, who's not at their best, or with trouble makers. So you have to interact with the more accurate picture, that most of the world isn't like that. You have to get away from that. Church was a big part of that for me. ... This job can really taint you if you let it.
Why did you choose this career? I knew Kenneth "Pinky" Thompson (former and late Haines City police chief). We went to church together and he encouraged me to work for the Sheriff's Office right out of high school. I've been in every position with the agency since. I was a detention deputy in 1979 in the main jail in Bartow and worked the graveyard shift, then became a street patrol officer on rotating shifts, then was one of the first five deputies to be a canine handler. I worked narcotics for several years. I spent a significant amount of time in investigations.
Which position was your favorite? Working undercover drug enforcement, because drugs have such a negative impact on society. It destroys families. When you're on the streets doing hand-to-hand deals, and you put them behind bars, at the end of the day, it feels like you accomplished something. You took thugs and drugs off the streets. It was challenging, though. One night when my son was very young and we lived in our first home in Davenport, my house and undercover car got shot up.
How did you stay calm? You have to have a commitment to do the right thing. We do what the citizens hire us to do, to take the poisons off the streets. It's rewarding to know you've made a positive difference.
How do you relax? Sometimes it's difficult. I enjoy my family. My daughter still lives at home and it's good to spend time with her, however long a 20-year-old will let you. She's an LPN and going to school to be an RN. I enjoy hunting and we are big football fans. Roll Tide. I try to wind down, but my wife will tell you that I don't wind down enough. We're also big NASCAR fans. We like to go to the races with our kids.
Do you belong to any clubs in Polk County? I'm the past president of the Haines City Rotary Club and current member. Years ago, I was a member and past president of the Haines City Athletic Boosters. I attend chamber functions throughout the county. I'm an alumni of Leadership Polk Class I and currently the Class III chair. I'm also a member and deacon of the First Baptist Church of Davenport.
What are you thankful for in your career? I don't think I could have a career opportunity like this anywhere else, and we just have really good people. Most on staff have spent their careers here and have grown up in rank together. That's unique. You don't find that in most places.
