Sadie Darnell
Sheriff Sadie Darnell was sworn in as the first female Sheriff of Alachua County in 2006 and re-elected to a second term in 2008.
Sheriff Darnell is a thirty-year veteran of the Gainesville Police Department, promoted through the ranks to Police Captain before retiring and ultimately returning as the agency’s Community Relations Coordinator working with special needs citizens and victims.
Sheriff Darnell earned a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Florida. She is a graduate of the John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Program and the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Sheriff Darnell is currently a member of the Florida Sheriff’s Association (FSA) Board of Directors, FSA Legislative Committee, FSA Deputy Sheriff’s Association, Regional Domestic Security Task Force Law Enforcement Subcommittee Co-Chair, Florida Gang Reduction Task Force Region 3 Co-Chair and actively supports the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranch, Ronald McDonald House, United Way, American Heart Association, March of Dimes, Child Advocacy Center, Partnership for Strong Families, Alachua County Children’s Alliance, Boys and Girls Club of Alachua County, Reichert House, Girls 2 Young Ladies and Meridian Behavioral Healthcare, Inc., among many others.
