November 1, 2023

Dear John,

We are delighted to announce the newest members of the Claremont family: the 2023 Sheriffs Fellows.

This year's impressive group of Sheriffs Fellows have been selected from across the nation for their incredible service in upholding law and order in our communities and our great nation.

Please join us in welcoming this year's Sheriffs Fellows!

Meet the 2023 Sheriffs Fellows

Sheriff Dan Coverley was born and raised in Douglas County, Nevada. Dan graduated from the University of New Mexico, where he played football and graduated with a BA in Criminology. He has been in law enforcement for 28 years, starting his career with the Albuquerque Police Department and moving to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in 1997. Dan was a member of the Sheriff’s Office SWAT team from 1999 to 2014. He attended the 263rd Session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA in 2016. Dan was elected as Douglas County’s 21st Sheriff in 2018.

Sheriff Jeff Bullard was born in Carbondale, IL in 1969, where he was raised by parents Mike and Nancy Bullard. He has a BS in Criminal Justice from SEMO and a MS in Criminal Justice Administration from Missouri Baptist University. Jeff began his career in 1991 with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and was then hired by the Mt. Vernon Police Department in 1997, retiring in 2018 as Detective Captain and High-Risk Team Assistant Commander. He had an 100 percent clearance rate for murder cases and received 15 awards and commendations for his job performance. Jeff has also been an adjunct professor at Rend Lake College and has taught ALICE model active shooter options for civilians and various firearms classes. In November of 2018, Jeff was elected Sheriff of Jefferson County, Illinois.

Sheriff Joe Gamble is currently serving his third term as Sheriff for Talbot County, Maryland. Sheriff Gamble retired from the Maryland State Police after 27 years of service as the Commander of the State-Wide Homicide Unit. During his tenure, Sheriff Gamble was deputized by both the DEA and the FBI while working against violent drug trafficking organizations operating in the eastern United States. Sheriff Gamble founded the Talbot Goes Purple Drug Education Initiative, which has educated tens of thousands of students, parents, and grandparents across the region. During his 35 years of law enforcement experience, Sheriff Gamble has received numerous awards and recognition at the local, state, and federal level. He currently serves as President of the Maryland Sheriff’s Association, as a commissioner on the Maryland Police and Standards Commission, and on numerous boards in Talbot County which focus on youth. 

Sheriff Craig Mast has been employed with the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office since 1993 and was elected Sheriff in November of 2016. He earned a BS in Criminal Justice from Western Michigan University. Sheriff Mast has served on the Cove Task Force Against Domestic Violence since 2008 and was selected as Cove “Officer of the Year” in 2015. He has also been a member of the Oceana County System of Care since its inception. Sheriff Mast has been a youth football coach and a girl’s assistant varsity softball coach. He is an active NRA member. Sheriff Mast and his wife Carol reside in Hart and have two grown children. His daughter, Haley, is an occupational therapist and is married to a Deputy Sheriff from a neighboring county. His son, Mitchell, is a Deputy Sheriff in a different county.

Sheriff Michael Murphy started with the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office in 1990 as a Corrections Officer. After nine months he was transferred to the field services division where he was assigned to general law enforcement and was trained as a DARE instructor. In 1996 Sheriff Murphy was promoted to Sergeant. In 2000 he was promoted to Lieutenant and in 2005 he was appointed Undersheriff. In November of 2016, Mike was appointed Sheriff to fill the remaining term of retired Sheriff Bezotte and was subsequently elected Sheriff. Mike ran unopposed when he ran for his second term, which started in January 2021. Mike and his wife Penny have been married for 33 years and are very involved in their community. 

Sheriff Carlton Speed was elected Banks County Sheriff on August 21, 2012 and was re-elected to a second term in 2016. Sheriff Speed was born in Rabun County, GA and graduated from Clemson University, playing offensive tackle under National Champion Head Coach Danny Ford. He began his law enforcement career in 1993. Sheriff Speed is an active member of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association, serving as president from 2020-21, and the National Sheriffs’ Association. He was named the 2022 Sheriff of the Year by the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association. He currently sits on the boards of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Appalachian Drug Task Force, the Georgia Boy Scouts of America, and the National Sheriffs’ Association Traffic Safety Committee. Sheriff Speed enjoys spending time with his wife, Kristie, and his four children. He is an avid sportsman and enjoys hunting deer, wild hogs, and foul. Sheriff Speed is a member of Nails Creek Baptist Church, where he currently serves as deacon.

Sheriff Troy Wellman is Sheriff of Moody County, South Dakota. Troy has spent the majority of his life in the community that he serves, growing up on a dairy farm in western Moody County. He graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Law Enforcement from Western Dakota Technical Institute’s Law Enforcement program. Troy started at the Moody County Sheriff’s office in 1997 and was elected Sheriff in 2006. He has been married to his beautiful wife for 21 years and has two kids and seven grandchildren. In his free time he likes to camp with his family and go on cruises with his wife. He is active in his local church. Every September, he grows a beard to fulfill the role as Santa at various events and homes around Christmas time. 

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