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Executive Staff
Sheriff Ricky Adam

Sheriff Ricky Adam is a lifelong resident of Hancock County.  The son of Clayton R. Adam Sr. and Carolyn Ladner Adam, Sheriff Adam siblings consist of five (5) brothers and three (3) sisters.  Sheriff Adam is married and the proud parent of three (3) sons and two (2) daughters.

A graduate from Bay High School and the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College receiving an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice.

For years, Sheriff Adam was a Real Estate Agent on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Prior to being elected Sheriff, he served for ten (10) years as an elected Hancock County Justice Court Judge.  As a Justice Court Judge, he had jurisdiction over small claims civil cases involving amounts of $3,500 or less, misdemeanor criminal cases and any traffic offense.  In addition, he conducted bond hearings and preliminary hearings in felony criminal cases and issued search warrants. In conjunction with his judicial duties, Sheriff Adam completed over 200 hours of continuing education with the Mississippi Judicial College, Oxford, MS.
As a Justice Court Judge, Sheriff Adam was in a reactionary role addressing criminal and civil issues within his beloved community.

Sheriff Adam was elected in November 2011 as Hancock County Sheriff, Sheriff Adam was sworn in to his position in January 2012.  Being the Chief Law Enforcement Executive for the county, Sheriff Adam assumed a proactive role in fighting crime responsible for an estimated $7,000,000.00 budget with approximately 161 sworn employees to protect and serve an area approximately 553 square miles with an estimated population of 45,000 residents.   Undertaking this task, Sheriff Adam reconstructed his administration with highly qualified and experienced law enforcement administrators which is evident by the drastic reduction in crime in the county as well as the Hancock County Adult Sheriff  (HCADC) being recently accredited by the American Correctional Association (ACA).  The HCADC received a score of 100 proving compliance with all National Standards for a facility of this size. Leading his office from the newly constructed, state of the art Hancock County Public Service Complex, Sheriff Adam has raised the benchmark of his office to a recognized standard of honesty, professionalism and integrity for all his personnel. 
 
Chief Deputy Jeremy Skinner

Chief Deputy Jeremy Skinner was appointed to his current position in March of 2019 by Sheriff Ricky Adam. In 1998, Chief Deputy Skinner began his law enforcement career by enlisting in the United States Coast Guard Reserves as a part of a Port Security Team until 2006. During his tenure serving his country, Commander Skinner deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2000, Chief Deputy Skinner began working in local law enforcement as a reserve officer for the Pass Christian (MS) Police Department, until he accepted a full time position with the Waveland (MS) Police Department (WPD) as a patrol officer. During his time as a patrol officer, he was awarded Officer of the Year for his outstanding service to the community. Chief Deputy Skinner quickly became a narcotics investigator where he served for eight (8) years. During this time, he was assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force which afforded him exposure to numerous specialized classes, including advanced narcotics training and clandestine laboratory investigations. This opportunity provided valuable experiences and established ongoing working relationships with other professionals within the law enforcement community.

In addition, as a graduate of the New Orleans Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics Academy, his collateral duties included being a team member of the WPD SWAT Team, culminating in his appointment as Team Commander. In 2011 Chief Deputy Skinner, to advance his law enforcement experience, accepted a position working for the Harrison County Sheriff's Office under Sheriff Melvin Brisolara. With the election of Sheriff Ricky Adam in 2012, he accepted the position of Narcotics Director at the Hancock County Sheriff's Office. Under his leadership, the Narcotics Division fostered a close working relationship with federal, state and local partners as well as opened lines of communication with the District Attorney's Office to ensure successful prosecution of submitted cases. Most of all, his leadership demanded the Narcotics Division to focus its efforts on addressing the ever-changing concerns of our citizens and the drug problems facing Hancock County. During his time as the Director of Narcotics, he continuously demonstrated a commitment to the advancement of the division, exemplified by an increase in not only case indictments but also successful case prosecutions. He was also awarded the Sheriff's Star of Commendation for outstanding service in 2013. Chief Deputy Skinner was charged with the responsibility of the Hancock County Sheriff's Office Special Operations Division which included the Canine Division, Criminal Interdiction Unit and the Special Response Team. He also assumed additional administrative duties for the Sheriff's Office. Chief Deputy Skinner holds an Associates Degree from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and is a graduate from the Mississippi Law Enforcement Command College at the University of Mississippi. During his career, he has amassed over a thousand hours of continuing and advanced education. He possesses a leadership and management style that encourages his staff to work hard to be the best professionals they can possibly be and do so in a dignified, respectful manner. Chief Deputy Skinner is changing the public perception of law enforcement and exemplifies the effort of community-oriented policing.

 
Executive Secretary Rebecca Ruspoli
   
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