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Features
Chief Retires, Mayor To Appoint New Chief
MAYOR BOB BUCKHORN
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Last May, Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor an- nounced the temporary ap- pointments of then Captain Eric Ward and Major Brian Dugan to the posi- tions of Deputy Chiefs. The appointments were for the period of one year.
In November 2014, Chief Ward was named Assistant Chief. Now, with Chief Cas- tor retiring on May 8th, Mayor Bob Buckhorn must name her replacement.
Chances are, Mayor Buckhorn will make his se- lection from within the de- partment. The most likely candidates would come from the senior staff. Those indi- viduals are: Assistant
CHIEF JANE CASTOR ... Retiring May 8th
Chief Ward, Deputy Chief Dugan, Deputy Chief Mary O’Connor, or Major Rocky Ratliff. Major Diane Hobley Bur- ney has accepted the posi- tion of Chief of the Fort Pierce Police Department.
Mayor Buckhorn could also select a Captain to serve in the position as former Mayor Sandy Freedman did several years ago.
Since Mayor Buckhorn decided not to conduct a na- tional search for a police chief, many are speculating that either Assistant Chief Ward or Deputy Chief Dugan are the most likely persons to be elevated to serve as Chief.
Assistant Chief Ward
is a product of East Tampa, and attended the public
ASSISTANT CHIEF ERIC WARD
schools of Hillsborough County. After graduating from Hillsborough High School, in 1984, he applied to the Tampa Police Depart- ment and was hired as an of- ficer.
Assistant Chief Ward
earned his degree in Criminal Justice from St. Leo College. Through the years, Assis- tant Chief Ward has moved up the ranks. A vet- eran of the department for more than 25 years, Assis- tant Chief Ward said he al- ways wanted to be a police officer. As a child, his mother, who he refers to as his role model, taught him to respect law enforcement. Assistant Chief Ward, 48, enjoys spending time with his wife and two adult chil- dren.
New Principal Named At Blake
BY TAMECA JOHNSON Blake High Journalism Teacher/Advisor
Jesse Salters is the newly appointed Principal at Howard W. Blake High School.
The Hillsborough County School Board voted unani- mously during its meeting Tuesday to appoint Jesse Salters to the position vacated by longstanding Principal, Jacqueline Haynes. The motion was brought to the floor by Board Member Sally Harris and seconded by Board Member Doretha Edgecomb.
Salters has spent the past eight years at Blake in various Assistant Principal positions. Prior to that, he was a Student Intervention Specialist at Sligh Middle School.
His appointment comes with the full support and en- dorsement of Blake’s alumni and Booster Club. “It’s a piv- otal move for all those in- volved,” says Frances Cheeks-Jennings, Vice Pres- ident of Blake’s Booster Club and a member of the class of 1959. “He has the background, the heart for both magnet and traditional students at Blake, and a voice and face in the community surrounding Blake. He has the support of the com- munity and he has always had relationships with all facets re- garding Blake.”
Eleventh grade student Mekeia Butler says she was relieved when she heard the news. “Mr. Salters knows the ropes and the ins and outs of Blake. He knows the students and he has a personal relation- ship with us. So the transition should be seamless.”
A Chamberlain High School basketball standout, Salters graduated from there in 1990. He led the Chiefs to a Class 4A
JESSE SALTERS
State title and finished his high school career with 2,222 points. He went on to Florida State University, but after a year, transferred to the Univer- sity of South Florida, where he started his remaining 3 years.
Salters graduated from USF in 1994 with a degree in Speech Communications. He was named USF's Most Out- standing Senior in a class of more than 4,000.
Among the positions he has held at Blake was Assistant Principal and Athletic Director.
Salters assumes his role Monday, April 27. Former Principal Haynes has been promoted to a District level po- sition.
Others appointed as princi- pals during Tuesday’s Board meeting were:
Delilah Rabeiro, Lewis Elementary; Mary Ann Lippek, Tampa Palms Ele- mentary; Kelly McMillan, Apollo Beach Elementary; Wendy Harrison, Colson El- ementary; Rachael O'Dea, Lanier Elementary; Louis Murphy, Jr., West Tampa El- ementary; Nancy Moody, Tinker K-8 School; Lori Branham, Lutz Elemen- tary; Angela Livingston, Broward Elementary; and Ronald Mason, Hill Middle School.
FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3-A