|
BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE
Lonnie was born in a farmhouse near Chualar, nine miles south of Salinas. His father worked as a tractor driver, and Lonnie grew up on farms in the Salinas Valley. Lonnie's first jobs were working in the fields during the Summers. He attended elementary schools in Soledad and Chualar. He was Valedictorian at his eighth grade graduation.
Lonnie started Gonzales High School, but soon moved to a farm near Castroville, where he attended North Salinas High School. When Alisal High opened, he was a part of the new school, and in June of 1967, as President of the Senior Class, Lonnie was the first person ever to graduate from Alisal High School. He was also president of five school organizations, including the National Honor Society and the California Scholarship Federation, scholastic honors groups.
After graduating from Hartnell College and working briefly for Wells Fargo Bank, at the age of 21, Lonnie went to work for the Monterey County Sheriff's Department, where he has served the citizens of Monterey County for the last 31 years. He worked as a Patrol Deputy for six years and was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He served as a Patrol Supervisor prior to being selected as the Department's first Special Services Officer, where he started the unit that is responsible for Internal Investigations and Background Investigations, and has grown into a seperate Division of the Department.
In 1979, one week after his 30th birthday, Lonnie was promoted to Lieutenant. He has served as a manager, administrator, and executive for the last 22 years, commanding virtually every Division in the Department. These command assignments included Patrol, Field Training, King City Station, Monterey Station, Investigations Division, Records and Warrants Divison, County Jail Division, Rehabilitation Facility and Court Services Division, Corrections Training, Coroner's Division, and Training Division. Lonnie has been overseeing the development of the Department's first Youth Sports Program and participation in the Rancho Natividad Project. For three years he had the additional duty of Project Officer during the planning and construction of the Sheriff's Department Public Safety Facility in Salinas.
Lonnie served for over 5 years as Chief Deputy of the Corrections Bureau, under two different Sheriffs. In that assignment he commanded a Bureau of 200 people with a budget of over $17 million.
Lonnie's years of service, assignments, education and training make him, by far, the most experienced and best qualified candidate for Sheriff of Monterey County.
|
|
