SARASOTA COUNTY, FL. – On Wednesday, Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman recognized the 2021 Employees of the Year.
Sergeant Darrell Seckendorf, 2021 Law Enforcement Deputy of the Year, joined the sheriff’s office in 1998 and is recognized for his leadership, courage, and professionalism. Seckendorf currently serves as one of two Traffic Unit supervisors and also oversees both the agency’s Honor Guard and Emergency Response Team (ERT). In January 2021, he was instrumental in planning, organizing, and staffing the swear-in ceremony for Sheriff Hoffman.
Throughout the year, Seckendorf coordinated the participation of both the Honor Guard and Traffic Unit in many events locally and across the state, including charitable competitions, holiday celebrations, memorial ceremonies, and funeral services for several current and former members of law enforcement. As the ERT commander, he was also tasked with overseeing the team’s involvement in several large-scale searches.
Most notably in October, following the passing of Deputy Joshua Welge in the line of duty, Seckendorf led the Honor Guard in preparing memorial services with full honors for the first time in the agency’s history. All members of the unit were reassigned from their primary responsibilities and collectively worked nonstop for 36 hours prior to the funeral until Deputy Welge was laid to rest. Under Seckendorf’s leadership, the Honor Guard recently received the Unit Citation Award for their exemplary efforts.
Sergeant Darrell Seckendorf, Corrections Deputy Jamie Briandi, and Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman.
Corrections Deputy Jamie Briandi, 2021 Courts and Corrections Deputy of the Year, joined the sheriff’s office in 2001. He is recognized specifically for his work in the Sarasota County Correctional Facility where he is currently assigned to the Power Squad and serves as a member of the Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT).
Briandi’s roles within these specialty units include extraction team leader, fitness coordinator, non-lethal weapons instructor, as well as assisting with medical transports, high-risk cell extractions, and more. Notably, in August, Briandi responded to a suicide attempt by an inmate who tied a bedsheet around his neck. He and other deputies immediately rendered aid and successfully removed the bedsheet, lifting the inmate to safety. In November, Briandi earned the Lifesaving Award for his swift and heroic actions in preserving the inmate’s life.
Court Services Clerk Louis Wolf is recognized as the 2021 Civilian Employee of the Year. A veteran of the United States Coast Guard, Wolf joined the sheriff’s office in 2010 after retiring as a captain from the Hartford Police Department in Connecticut.
With the suspension of in-person courtroom hearings due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Wolf played an integral part in adapting procedures to a virtual setting. He collaborated with judges, court administrators, attorneys, external agencies, and Court Services deputies on the scheduling of three virtual courtrooms, court kiosks, and hearings by phone.
Wolf has coordinated more than 8,000 virtual court hearings and continues to contribute to the ongoing success of the program. In recognition of their efforts, he and several other members of the Court Services Bureau were presented with the Dedication and Professionalism Award by Congressman Vern Buchanan in September.
Communications Operator I Tia Brand and Communications Operator II Nancy Schreiber received the 2021 Emergency Operations Bureau Quality Assurance Award. The Quality Assurance Award is based on a combination of overall quality assurance scores, the number of calls audited, and scores on pre-arrival instructions.
Brand and Schreiber both earned the highest possible score of 100% on all calls reviewed. Brand previously received the Quality Assurance Award three other times in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
“While I take pride in the highest standards of professionalism performed by all members of the sheriff’s office, these honorees stood out among the rest in 2021,” said Sheriff Hoffman. “Their hard work and dedication are a true testament to what it means to serve both the agency and community.”
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