Candidate: Lee C. Alexander

My name is Lee Alexander and as a native Floridian and a resident of Citrus County for the past thirty-two years I am honored to be a candidate for the Office of Sheriff of Citrus County. I am married with four grown children and three grandchildren.  I started my career of service in June of 1979 just one week after graduating high school.  At that time I entered the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and spent the next 9 1/2 years serving as a USAF Security Policeman.  During my service I served in many capacities to include a tour at Andrews Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. where I served as an Aircraft Security NCO.  My responsibilities involved traveling with the Vice-President, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, members of Congress, and many foreign heads of state as they travelled the globe fulfilling their government duties.

In December of 1988, I left the service and moved to Citrus County where just one month later, along with a business partner, I opened Goldshield Security Services, Inc.  At the time it was the largest locally owned security company in Citrus County.  We provided security for many subdivisions and businesses in the area.  In November 1991, I sold my interest in the business and went to work at the Inverness Police Department (IPD).  I spent the next 12 1/2 years there serving in a wide variety of positions, to include Patrol Officer, Traffic Enforcement Officer, Community Policing Officer, Detective, Operations Lieutenant, and finally Chief of Police. While serving as Chief I implemented many programs to ensure that the department ran more efficient, was more responsive to the needs of the community, as well as fiscally responsible.  A key aspect of the success of any law enforcement agency is ensuring that the members of the agency have the resources and support they need to fulfill thier duties.  As a leader, my personal motto is "Take care of your people and your people will take care of you."  By providing your personnel with the proper tools they need and the knowledge that their service is appreciated the better they serve their community.

In April of 2004, law enforcement services in the City of Inverness were assumed by the Citrus County Sheriff's Office (CCSO).  Sheriff Dawsy, then Sheriff of Citrus County, graciously gave me the choice of several different positions and as a result I became a Major Crimes Detective.  During my tenure in this position I was involved in many high profile investigations which included murders, robberies, and felony financial crimes.  I served in this capacity until my retirement in June of 2011.

In June of 2014, I rejoined the CCSO as a civilian employee overseeing the Seniors vs. Crime Project.  This extremely successful program is a joint project between the CCSO and the Florida Attorney General's Office.  In October of 2017, my duties were increased to include the supervision of the CCSO Volunteer Program.  This program contains over 670 dedicated local residents who give of their time to serve their fellow citizens.  The value of their service cannot be overestimated.  During this 5 1/2 year tenure with the CCSO I wrote a weekly newspaper article which shared a wide range of issues facing our county residents.  I served in this position until I departed the agency in January of 2020.

My love for Citrus County is not something that developed in a short amount of time, but was rather something that was instilled in me by my father, L.C. Alexander, when I was a very small child.  Prior to moving here, I spent much of my younger years on property (and later a home) owned by my parents on the Lake Tsala Apopka chain of lakes.  My siblings and I were raised to enjoy the outdoors and all the natural beauty Citrus County had to offer.  Fishing was a favorite pass time of my father's and he had a fierce dedication to defend our water resources and he did so until his passing.  His commitment to that cause helped shape my campaign's motto of "Commitment to others, not service to self."

I hope this bio has given you some insight into my background and my commitment to this community.  I greatly appreciate you taking the time to learn about me and the other candidates seeking the Office of Sheriff of Citrus County.