Sheriff honors retirees, outstanding employees
On Dec. 30, Gordon County Sheriff Mitch Ralston recognized two retiring employees, and five other employees for outstanding performance during 2022.
Jailor Eddie Gibson received the Jailor of the Year medal, Deputy Sheriff Mark Carlson received the Judicial Bureau Deputy of the Year medal, Deputy Sheriff Joshua Morse received the Enforcement Bureau Deputy of the Year medal, and Detective Ben Fox received the Detective of the Year medal.
Officers who receive these awards are nominated by their Division commanders. Deputy Sheriff Mitchell Massingill received the “Sheriff’s Extra Mile Award” which is presented to one GCSO employee annually for demonstrating a “cheerful willingness to go above and beyond the duties required” of their employment. Retiring Reserve Deputy Sheriff Ken Padgett was recognized with a Distinguished Service Award for over 10 years of service at GCSO. His entire law enforcement career lasted over 25 years in Calhoun and Gordon County.
Sheriff Ralston presented retiring Captain Mike Barton with a Distinguished Service Award with Gold Star Device for Exceptional Merit in recognition of Captain Barton’s public service career spanning over five decades. Barton said it was easy for him to come to work here in a job that he loved.
A native of Sugar Valley, Captain Barton served multiple combat tours in Vietnam in the US Air Force Special Forces, as a police officer in Marietta, as a police officer in Cobb County where he retired as Assistant Chief of Police, in the Georgia State Patrol where he served as a Major, as Executive Director of the Georgia Peace Officer Standards & Training (POST) Council and Staff Instructor for the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) in which roles he oversaw the training of thousands of Georgia peace officers, as Director of Law Enforcement for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, and finally as a Captain (in command of the Jail Division) in the Gordon County Sheriff’s Office.
“It is an honor and a pleasure to lead and serve alongside each of these award recipients,” said Ralston. “They are all dedicated public servants who love their profession and love the people in our community. I congratulate them, and I am very proud of them all.”