Jerry Demings

Jerry Demings
Mayor-elect of Orange County
Assuming office
January 2019
Succeeding Teresa Jacobs
Sheriff of Orange County, Florida
Assumed office
January 6, 2009
Preceded by Kevin Beary
Personal details
Born (1959-06-12) June 12, 1959
Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Nationality American
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Val Butler
Children 3
Alma mater Florida State University
Everest College
Profession law enforcement officer

Jerry L. Demings (born June 12, 1959) is an American law enforcement officer currently serving as the Sheriff of Orange County, Florida, having first been elected in 2008. A Democrat, he is a former Chief of the Orlando Police Department and Director of Public Safety for Orange County, Florida, and was elected to become Mayor of Orange County in August 2018.[1]

Early life and education

Demings was born and raised in Orlando, Florida, the youngest of five children.[2] His father was a taxi driver and his mother a homemaker.[3] One of his brothers died of heroin addiction.[4] He graduated from Jones High School in Orlando and later attended Florida State University and Everest College, earning a bachelor's degree in finance and master's degree in business administration.[5][4] He also has a certificates of completion from Harvard University's JFK School of Government, FBI National Academy and FBI National Executive Institute .[6][7]

Career

Demings worked as an accountant before beginning a career in law enforcement.[7] Demings joined the Orlando Police Department in 1981 after certification from the J. C. Stone Memorial Police Academy.[8] He worked in the department as a detective before he became its first African-American chief in 1998,[9] serving until his retirement after 21 years with the department in 2002.[10] In 2002, he was named Director of Public Safety for Orange County, a position in which he served until 2008. In 2008, Demings ran as the Democratic candidate for Sheriff of Orange County, Florida, the chief law enforcement officer of the county. He defeated his Republican challenger John B. Tegg III,[11] and became the first African-American to serve in the post.[10][12] Demings was re-elected in 2012,[2] and again in 2016.[13] In July 2016, Demings was elected as president of the Florida Sheriffs' Association.[14]

In an unusual, perhaps unique, situation, when Deming was elected country Sheriff in 2008, his wife held his former job as Chief of the Orlando Police Department.[4][15] Demings' Republican opponent in the Sheffif's race, John Tegg, alleged that his elections would create a conflict of interest situation.[14][4]

Personal life

Demings is married to Valdez "Val" Butler, whom he met during his early years with the Orlando Police Department while he was a detective and she was a first-year police officer, when both worked a juvenile go-kart-accident case.[3][16] They married in 1988 and have three children along with five grandchildren.[3][17] His wife served as a captain in the police department while he was chief, and later went on to become the first female police chief of the Orlando Police Department, serving from 2007 to 2011. She was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2016.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Peters, Xander (August 28, 2018). "Sheriff Jerry Demings wins Orange County mayoral race". Orlando Weekly. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Orange sheriff candidate primary: Orange Sheriff Jerry Demings will face ex-NYPD cop Yanti".
  3. 1 2 3 4 Magazine, Orlando Signature. "Jerry and Val Demings".
  4. 1 2 3 4 Schneider, Mike (25 January 2009). "Married couple lead area policing; Jerry and Val Demings are sheriff and police chief in the Orlando area. Conflict of interest? No, they say". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  5. ↑ "Orange County Sheriff Bio".
  6. ↑ "Orange County Sheriff - Jerry L. Demings". Orlando Sentinel.
  7. 1 2 Heflin, Devin. "Jerry Demings, The People's Sheriff". The Orlando Times. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  8. ↑ "ELECTION 2008: About Candidate Jerry Demings, Running for Orange County Sheriff". 23 August 2008.
  9. ↑ Tracy, Dan (27 December 1998). "How the Past Will Shape the Future". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  10. 1 2 "Married cops to head next-door agencies". 25 January 2009.
  11. ↑ http://www.floridastatefop.org/pdf_files/2008sheriffGENERALELECTIONRESULTS.pdf
  12. ↑ "First Black Student at FSU Honored". WCTV. 30 October 2009. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  13. ↑ "Orange County Sheriff's race: Incumbent Demings defeats Hopkins". Orlando Sentinel.
  14. 1 2 "Demings elected first black president of sheriffs group". Orlando Sentinel.
  15. ↑ Prieto, Bianca (15 January 2009). "Chief, sheriff share crime-fighting plans". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  16. ↑ Lesner, Jim (17 December 2017). "Val Demings takes over as Orlando's police chief Monday". McClatchy - Tribune Business News. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  17. ↑ "Val Demings takes over as Orlando's police chief Monday". Articles.orlandosentinel.com. December 16, 2007. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
Civic offices
Preceded by
Kevin Beary		 Sheriff of Orange County, Florida
2009-present		 Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Teresa Jacobs		 Mayor of Orange County, Florida
Taking office 2019		 Elect


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