Six Finalists Chosen For Escambia Corrections Director Job

November 12, 2014

A committee has narrowed the list of candidates for corrections director down to six.

The current director, Gordon Pike, will be retired as of next week. His retirement date was already scheduled prior to the April 30 explosion as the Central Booking and Detention facility.

From the a 17 candidate list, the committee chose six:

  • Larry Aiken — former Escambia County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy under Sheriff David Morgan, and employed currently by Edge Access, Inc.
  • Tammie Booker — currently the second ranking person in the division under Pike, serving as community corrections division director
  • Clifford Tebbitt — jail administrator in Scott County, Iowa
  • Michael Tidwell — chief corrections deputy of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, also headed Orange County Corrections from July 2007 to November 2013
  • Brett Whitlock — Escambia County jail commander
  • Jesse Williams — regional director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections

The new corrections boss will run the day to day operations of the department including administrative and budgeting, and will also have the task of seeing that permanent housing is found for the inmates that were displaced by the explosion.

The six finalists will now be interviewed by the selection committee.

The selection committee is comprised of County Administrator Jack Brown, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Eric Haines, Pensacola Police Chief Chip Simmons, Trial Court Administrator Robin Wright and Richard Johnson of the Florida Model Jail Inspections group.

Pictured: The Central Booking and Detention facility following an April 30 explosion. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.

Comments

7 Responses to “Six Finalists Chosen For Escambia Corrections Director Job”

  1. Randy on November 13th, 2014 9:05 am

    1. Brett Whitlock is my choice.

  2. Ray Nagin on November 12th, 2014 7:31 pm

    Michael Tidwell is my choice!

  3. Mark T on November 12th, 2014 7:16 pm

    I’ve got a good idea y’all …. Let privatize this position so we can pay them oh say 25,000 a year with no benefits at all !!! Just think of the Tax Payer money we can save for the people of Escambia Co. !!! Let’s go Tea Party,, how bout it ?? NO ? WHY NOT !

  4. What on November 12th, 2014 6:14 pm

    Should have stole the one from Santa Rosa, they seem to be ahead of the game.

  5. Nick on November 12th, 2014 11:44 am

    Pick the guy from Orleans Parish. He from a larger department with high crime and has experience in position and in Florida in Orange county.

  6. hilton on November 12th, 2014 11:26 am

    Great thinking Concerned Citizen. Yeah, since this person is from Ohio, that should qualify him. And Ohio always has new and innovative ideas. You should elect yourself to be on the selection committee so we can see firsthand how forward thinking works around here.

  7. concerned citizen on November 12th, 2014 8:23 am

    Pick the guy from Ohio. Not from around there. Not from the Pensacola good ol boy network. And might possibly bring some new innovative creative ideas on how to change things up and move into the future forward thinking.