The Villages vice president of community relations and a well-respected law enforcement officer who stepped in last year after Marion County’s sheriff was yanked from office have been named to the Florida Constitution Revision Commission.
The appointments were announced Friday by Gov. Rick Scott.
The Villages’ Gary Lester has spent 34 years as an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church. Lester pastored congregations in Texas, Arkansas and Ohio before moving to Florida in 1991. He is frequently seen making high-profile introductions in The Villages and at ribbon-cutting events. He serves as head of the school board at the Villages Charter School.
Emery Gainey has devoted his career to law enforcement in Florida. Gainey is a member of the Attorney General’s senior executive management team and currently serves as the Director of Law Enforcement, Victim Services & Criminal Justice Programs and is the liaison between federal, state and local law enforcement administrators and the Attorney General. Gainey plays a key role in the development, implementation and execution of the Attorney General’s criminal justice related initiatives.
On May 20, 2016, the governor appointed Gainey to serve as sheriff of Marion County when Sheriff Chris Blair was removed from office. You can read more about that HERE. Gainey served until Jan. 3 of this year before returning to the Attorney General’s Office.
Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office in 2007, Gainey served with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office for 25 years, holding several key positions during his tenure including Chief Deputy, Division Commander of the Uniform Patrol and Homeland Security Commander.
The governor appointed Carlos Beruff as chairman of the commission on Wednesday. The 37–member Commission convenes every 20 years to review Florida’s Constitution and propose potential changes to be approved by Florida voters.
