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Escambia County Corrections’ Wilson, Hankins Graduate From State Leadership Programs

Two Escambia County Corrections employees have graduated this year from leadership programs through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, demonstrating their dedication to enhancing their leadership skills in the criminal justice profession.

Capt. Shawn Hankins (pictured right) graduated from the Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute’s Senior Leadership Program and Sgt. Lonnie Wilson (pictured left) graduated from the Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute’s Florida Leadership Academy, both of which require a rigorous application and selection process.

“I’m incredibly proud of Capt. Hankins and Sgt. Wilson for taking the initiative and putting in the hard work it takes to apply for and complete these programs,” Escambia County’s Chief of Corrections Rich Powell said. “Corrections is a demanding and challenging career, and it’s imperative to develop and recognize strong leaders who can successfully guide our team through challenges that come our way. I appreciate FDLE for offering training and development programs like this to foster the advancement of Escambia County and other law enforcement agencies throughout the state.”

Capt. Hankins and Sgt. Wilson were selected from applicants throughout the state to participate in the multi-week programs, which teach participants critical skills to be effective leaders through the challenges faced by criminal justice professionals.

Both Capt. Hankins and Sgt. Wilson spoke highly of their experiences, which not only taught them valuable leadership skills, but also helped them network and build connections with other agencies throughout the state.

“I think it gets you ready for upper-level management, and it helps with that next level of getting a bigger perspective community-wide as opposed to focusing on your area of concern,” said Capt. Hankins, who has worked for Escambia County Corrections since 2005. “It makes you think of the community as whole and not just inside the jail, but how it affects the community outside of the jail.”

Sgt. Wilson was among 44 first-line supervisors serving in leadership roles selected for the Florida Leadership Academy, with participants representing 37 criminal justice agencies throughout the state. He was also nominated and selected as class president.

“The information that they taught, just learning how to become a leader and figuring out what type of leader you are – it’s helped me tremendously,” said Sgt. Wilson, who has been with Escambia County Corrections for nearly 25 years and now supervises more than 40 employees.

The Florida Leadership Academy consists of four week-long sessions where participants learn skills necessary to support the needs of their agencies and communities in preparation for future challenges. The goal of the academy is to prepare first-line supervisors in criminal justice organizations to exemplify the character and integrity expected of criminal justice professionals, while examining the various components necessary to become efficient leaders.

The Senior Leadership Program is designed to prepare Florida’s criminal justice leadership for the challenging and changing demands of the future. Participants met for seven weeks over a 10-month period. They studied the trends and events that will challenge criminal justice professionals and the state, also examining the leadership skills necessary to create and lead the changes that lie ahead.