Two members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office staff graduated from the National Command & Staff College’s Command and Staff Leadership Program on January 24, 2025 as part of its #028 session.
Sergeant Ben Causland and Corporal Dylan Pugh began working through this program in 2024 and completed their residency portion in south Alabama in January 2025. Sgt. Causland received the Top Research Award, and Cpl. Pugh received the Academic Leadership Achievement Award, both of which were presented during the graduation ceremony.
This graduate-level program is designed to elevate the leadership abilities of the graduates so that they can continue to improve their agencies. It consists of 240 hours of online study and an 80-hour residency portion.
Throughout the program, the participants work through different types of training including classroom study, lectures, practical exercises, and case studies on topics such as approaches to topics such as leadership, personnel management, the human factors of leadership and officer wellness, building and maintaining a professional culture, ethics, and crisis communication.
The main objective of this program according to the National Command & Staff College’s website is “to improve leadership capability by creating more aware leaders, including intentionally deeper investments in the human domain and aligning mission and values. Graduates will be leaders and mentors for their people, dedicated to personal and professional growth, committed to promoting open communication, shared values, and focused on mission accomplishment.”
These deputies join their fellow LCSO deputies, Captain Bill McGuire, Lt. Jeff Snyder, and Sgt. Greg Sumner, who graduated from the #019 session of the Command & Staff College in July 2023 and Lt. Mitch Allen, Lt. Jessica Daley, Lt. Derick Eidahl, and Sgt. Clayton Feagins who graduated from the #023 session in January 2024. During their sessions, Captain McGuire received the Top Graduate award, Lt. Snyder received the MAGNUS OVĒA award, Lt. Daley received the Presidents’ Award, and Sgt. Feagins received the Academic Leadership Achievement Award.
