The Sheriff’s Office celebrated a round of recent promotions with individual promotion ceremonies. Promotions mark a milestone in careers and are traditionally celebrated during events in which families, friends and colleagues are invited to attend.

Due to restrictions currently in place for COVID-19, Sheriff Bill Brown honored and swore in a dozen staff members individually. Recently promoted staff include members of custody, dispatch, and law enforcement branches.

Drake Coolidge, Jeffrey Koeller, Bernard Redding and Jennifer Scher were each promoted to custody sergeant. Thomas Green Jr. and Travis Henderson were promoted to sheriff’s sergeant. Susan Farley was promoted to dispatch manager and will now oversee the Sheriff’s Office Public Safety Dispatch Center.

Cassandra Marking was promoted to custody lieutenant and has been assigned to Jail Operations. John Maxwell was promoted to sheriff’s lieutenant and has been assigned to the Isla Vista Foot Patrol Station. Joseph Schmidt was promoted to sheriff’s lieutenant, and has been assigned to Northern Stations, which covers Santa Maria and New Cuyama.

Kenneth Callahan was promoted to custody commander and is assigned to the Custody Support Division. Erik Raney was promoted to sheriff’s commander and has been assigned to the North County Operations Division, which includes Central and Northern Stations.

“The most valuable asset that this or any organization has is its people, and we who lead have the great responsibility of encouraging, developing, mentoring and training them,” Brown said. “As we accomplish these tasks through leaders who we have had a hand in developing, the honor grows even greater.”

Each of the Sheriff’s Office sworn staff members refreshed their oaths of office, and all promotees were presented with a certificate of appointment and fist bump from Brown.