By Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian

As I begin my term as MCSA President, I am extremely honored and humbled to lead this incredible organization and build upon the legacy of leadership it has had.

I want to start by acknowledging my friend and predecessor – Sheriff Grady Judd.  Through his leadership and dedication these past two years as president, he not only expanded the membership of the MCSA, but also its influence.  We are indebted to him as an organization for his work, and thank him for his continued support as Immediate Past President on our Executive Board.

As I said at our Winter Conference in Washington, I look forward to working with each and every MCSA member as we continue to grow and strengthen this organization and its membership. I will work to not only ensure our collective voice is heard by policymakers and our elected leaders in Washington, but to be inclusive of issues and perspectives that every sheriff brings to the conversation.  Each of you bring to this career a particular background, outlook and vision – I want to hear from you about what your interests are so we can ensure the organization reflects our membership.  Whether it’s presenting conference sessions on cybersecurity, helping craft federal legislation, or serving as a model for a promising reentry initiative, it is my hope that each of you will contribute your experience and expertise to the benefit of all our member sheriffs.

With that, I want to thank everyone who participated in our Winter Conference last month and ask you to keep an eye on your email for registration information for our Summer Conference (June 23-25) at the Marriott Water Street in Tampa.

Again, thank you for your ongoing commitment to MCSA.  I look forward to continuing the dialogue started in Washington and encourage you take a read through this month’s newsletter to learn more about some of our colleagues and efforts in their jurisdictions.