Explorer Post Advisor of the Year

2011 Explorer Post Advisor of the Year
Deputy Joni Goodley
Pinellas County, FL

Deputy Joni Goodley of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office in Largo, Florida, has been selected as the recipient of the 2011 Law Enforcement Explorer Post Advisor Award.

For more than six years, Deputy Goodley has worked hard to challenge the young men and women of Explorer Post 900. Deputy Goodley has worked diligently to maintain the high standards of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office in every aspect of the Exploring program to include recruitment, training, post activities, and state and national competitions.

Explorer Post 900 maintains a membership of between 25 and 30 young adults. When Deputy Goodley took over the position of advisor, the Post membership had twenty-five on the roster with an average attendance of sixteen. The membership roster for the 2010-2011 Exploring year has twenty-eight active young people listed, with an average attendance of twenty-seven.

All applicants to become explorers attend a week long academy each summer. Deputy Goodley has worked extensively with division leaders to provide opportunities to the Ex¬plorers including ride-along privileges in the Jail and Forensics Section, just to name a few.

Along with providing day-to-day support for deputies, Explorer Post 900 is extremely involved in a variety of activities for both community and Sheriff’s Office events. They par¬ticipate in an area coastal clean up, the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk, and the Sheriff’s office “Ride and Run with the Stars” fund raising event.

In her six years with the Explorer Post 900, Deputy Goodley has made a dramatic dif¬ference in the structure, success, and reputation of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Explorer Post. She has built strong relationships, not only with her chain of command, but also many local community and business leaders. Her commitment is unparalleled, often times associated with personal sacrifice to her own family.

NSA established the Law Enforcement Explorer Post Advisor Award in 1988 to recognize a post advisor for outstanding contributions to a law enforcement explorer post sponsored by a sheriff's office. Candidates are judged on their recruiting efforts, size of post and tenure of explorers, written program plans, explorer training, and post activities.

This year's award is sponsored by GTL.