Greg Ward Jr. is an American football quarterback for the Houston Cougars... (wikipedia)
I think a sheriff must be street smart. In smaller departments like Geneva County, the sheriff is the one to train the deputies.
There is no way to give a new officer a higher salary for years of experience. This has become a problem filling these vacancies.
For me, it's an honor for sure. I did not ever think a sheriff from Geneva County would be an officer of the state.
In the past, I know a lot of people have been elected without any experience in law enforcement. Although this job is more administrative, the sheriff still must know what the law is.