Editor, Gazette-Journal:
“Leadership is a two-way street; Loyalty up and loyalty down.” That’s a quote credited to Admiral Grace Hopper, but every effective leader I had the privilege of meeting or serving in the Navy had it ingrained in their DNA. Sid Foster is one of the few non-military leaders I served with who embodies that trait.
The rest of the quote explains how it works: “Respect your superiors; take care of your crew.” Sid’s respect for the office of sheriff has never wavered. His crew is his team and no one knows better than Sid that there is, in fact, no “I” in team. Sid doesn’t manage, he leads the deputies who do the constant work of protecting and serving the people of this county. Being a non-degreed person myself, the fact that someone else was educated in an institution of learning doesn’t impress me as much as someone who has learned by doing.
So, if push came to shove and I believed that perhaps my life was endangered, I want Sid to be there for me. I trust him to r...