Tallahassee, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Michael Adkinson, Jr., Melanie Bevan, Gary Calhoun, Jacqueline Harrison, Darla Portman, Carol Casimir, Michael Allen, Jermaine Lawson, Charles McIntosh and Richard Murphy to the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission.

Michael Adkinson, Jr.

Adkinson, Jr., of Santa Rosa Beach, is the Sheriff of Walton County. Previously he served as Chief of Police to the City of DeFuniak Springs and as an Officer with the Tallahassee Police Department. Adkinson, Jr. currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Sheriff’s Association. He received his bachelor’s degree in criminology from Florida State University and his master’s degree in criminal justice from St. Leo University.

Melanie Bevan

Bevan, of Ellenton, is the Chief of Police for the City of Bradenton Police Department. Previously, she spent 29 years with the St. Petersburg Police Department, rising to the position of Assistant Chief of Police. Bevan is a member of the International Leadership Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and serves as the District One Director for the Florida Police Chiefs Association. She received her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from St. Leo University, her master’s degree in public administration from Troy State University and her doctorate degree in organizational leadership from Argosy University.

Gary Calhoun

Calhoun, of Umatilla, is Chief of Police for the Eustis Police Department. Previously, he served as the Chief of Police for the Madison Police Department and Maitland Police Department. Calhoun is a member of the Florida Police Chiefs Association and has his Crime Prevention Practitioner designation from the Florida Office of the Attorney General. He received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Columbia College.

Jacqueline Harrison

Harrison, of Pembroke Pines, is a Sergeant with the Miami-Dade Police Department. In her 30 years with the department, she has served as a Public Service Aide, Police Officer, Detective and Police Sergeant with assignments to Uniform Patrol, Crime Suppression, Narcotics Bureau, Special Victims Bureau, General Investigations and the Professional Compliance Bureau. Harrison is a member of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association and earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Florida International University.

Darla Portman

Portman, of Wesley Chapel, is a Master Police Officer with the City of Tampa Police Department. She is currently the President of the Tampa Police Benevolent Association and serves on the Board of Directors for the Florida Police Benevolent Association. Portman received her bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of South Florida.

Carol Casimir

Casimir, of Ocala, is the Warden of the Florida Women’s Reception Center. Previously, she was the Assistant Warden of the Central Florida Reception Center and a Correctional Services Administrator and Consultant with the Florida Department of Corrections. Casimir is a member of the North American Association of Wardens and Superintendents, the American Correctional Association and the Florida Sheriff’s Association. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida.

Michael Allen

Allen, of Lakeland, is the Chief of Detention for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. He served in and received an Honorable Discharge from the United States Navy and is a Certified Instructor with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Allen received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Florida and his master’s degree in public administration from Troy State University.

Jermaine Lawson

Lawson, of Coconut Creek, is a Sergeant with the Miami-Dade County Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He is a member of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association. Lawson served in and received an Honorable Discharge from the United States Navy.

Charles McIntosh

McIntosh, of Ocala, is the Dean of Criminal Justice and Public Service at the College of Central Florida and a Reserve Deputy with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Previously, he was a Reserve Officer with the Ocala Police Department and a Correctional Officer with the Florida Department of Corrections. McIntosh earned his bachelor’s degree in business and organizational management from the College of Central Florida, his master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Central Florida and his doctorate degree in education from Capella University.

Richard Murphy

Murphy, of Tallahassee, is a Police Officer with the Tallahassee Police Department. Previously, he served as a Police Officer with the Henry County, Georgia Police Department and the Macon, Georgia Police Department. Murphy is the President of The Big Bend Chapter of the Florida Police Benevolent Association. He served in and received an Honorable Discharge from the United States Air Force. Murphy received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Liberty University.

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