Florida Sheriffs Association elects new Board, Bill Prummell as President

Image via Florida Sheriffs Association.

Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell will lead the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA) as President for the 2024-25 year following an election by the organization’s members that saw several of its Board members elevated to higher posts.

Prummell previously served as the Board of Directors’ Vice President. Last year, FSA members voted to make him President-elect.

They reconfirmed the decision at the FSA’s Summer Conference in Orlando, where they also approved several other leadership roles within the organization.

“Leadership is about service. In this new role, I am dedicated to serving my fellow Sheriffs and the people of Florida with integrity, transparency, and unwavering dedication,” Prummell said in a statement.

“I look forward to working with our board of directors and staff to guide the efforts and direction of the FSA. Our shared vision is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of law enforcement in Florida.”

Prummell, who was first sworn in as Charlotte Sheriff in 2013 and won re-election twice since, will succeed outgoing Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper as President. Leeper will now move into the role of Immediate Past President, a post previously held by Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis.

Other FSA Board appointments include:

— Vice President: Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma, previously the FSA Board Secretary.

— Secretary: Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, previously the FSA Board Treasurer.

— Treasurer: Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly.

— Chair: Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast.

— Vice Chair: Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach.

Founded in 1893, the FSA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit comprising Florida’s 66 current Sheriffs, approximately 3,000 business leaders and 100,000 citizens throughout the state. It is among Florida’s most powerful pro-police lobbying groups.

Miami-Dade Police Director Stephanie Daniels is also a member. She’ll be replaced in January after county voters elect their first Sheriff since the 1960s.

The organization generally promotes existing Board leaders to more demanding posts each year, FSA Public Relations Counsel Nanette Schimpf told Florida Politics. That arrangement, she said, enables members to prepare for their coming roles while also ensuring a clear line of succession.

According to the FSA website, the Board of Directors consists of three Directors from four districts in the state. Each is nominated by a committee and installed after a vote by the organization’s active members.

The Chair and Vice Chair are elected from the 12 Directors by a simple majority. Four elected officers — President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer — are also elected, while the Immediate Past President assumes their seat after serving as President the year prior.

“At the Florida Sheriffs Association, our mission is to support and enhance the effectiveness of Florida’s Sheriffs through education, training, and advocacy,” FSA Executive Director Steve Casey said in a statement. “With Sheriff Prummell at the helm, we are poised to further our vision of a safer Florida, driven by innovative and collaborative law enforcement practices.”