Joe Faherty has dedicated his life to molding and mentoring struggling youth into upstanding citizens during his 26-year career in law enforcement.

Joe has a master's degree in business and organizational security management and a bachelor's degree and behavioral science and began working with juveniles at Eckerd Youth and Family Alternatives as a community education specialist. He later worked as a Juvenile Probation Officer for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and was an inaugural member of the Juvenile Justice Board for the Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida, serving Citrus, Lake, Marion, Sumter and Hernando counties.

With 32 years of experience in total, Deputy Faherty has worked for nearly 24 years at the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, with the majority of his time as a School Resource Officer for the Renaissance Center, an alternative school for students with behavioral or disciplinary issues. He has also served on the Board of Directors for Filter Family Solutions (formerly known as Filter Youth Development), which promotes positive behaviors and offers counseling for both youth and their families.

Recognized for his ground-breaking personal impact on youth programs, Joe was a member of the Citrus County School Resource Officer Unit when it was awarded the Model Agency of the Year by President Bush. He was honored by VFW Post #4337 as Outstanding Officer of the Year in Citrus County. A 2017 recipient of the first Phil Royal Legacy Heart of Gold, in 2020 Joe received the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce Royal Legacy First Responder Award for his work in the community. In 2022, Joe was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Florida Association of School Resource Officers.

Faherty currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Citrus County. He also lends his time and talents as a volunteer to the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce, the Phil Royal Legacy, the Citrus County Business Appreciation BBQ, Floral City Strawberry Festival and many other community functions.

Joe's priorities are:

• A safe school environment

• Data driven decision-making

• Fiscal responsibility

• Return to educating students to think critically, rather than teaching them what to think