BERTIE LEDGER-ADVANCE
FEBRUARY 7,2018 I A5
The fabric of Bertie County since / 832
Continued
Powell
From A1
decided she wanted to go on
patrol, and she enrolled in
the Basic Law Enforcement
Training (BLET) at Martin
Community College.
“1 worked during the day
from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.-and
went to school at Martin
Community College from 6.
p.m. until whenever class
was over. I was hired by the
Bertie County Sheriffs Office
in September 2007 and grad
uated BLET in December
2007,” she continued.
Powell began with the Ber-*
tie County Sheriff’s Office on
patrol where she made mul
tiple arrests in a variety of
criminal activities.
When asked why she want
ed to do- patrol, she said,
while working as a detention
officer sometimes she would
get help with round-ups in
the county
“It made me want to do it
more. 1 found it exciting,”
Powell said.
She remained on patrol for
about a year-and-a-half and
then was transferred to the
narcotics division.
“The position came avail
able in the schools and Sher
iff John Holley asked me to
take the position. 1 was re
luctant, but Holley asked
me to take the position un
til someone else was found.
1 fell in love and never left,”
Powell said.
“Once 1 got here 1 saw the
difference made in the chil
dren’s lives and the differ
ence it made in mine,” she
added.
Powell is currently housed
at Bertie Middle School, but
does safety and security at
all of the schools. She still as
sists the sheriff’s office with
tasks outside of the school
system.
Cl
%
LESLIE BEACHBOARD / Bertie Ledger-Advance
Sgt. Bonnie Powell goes over some work while sitting at her desk at Bertie
Middle School.
“1 provide law enforce
ment and police services to
the schools and investigate
allegations of various crimi
nal incidents. 1 help develop
crime and prevention pro
grams and maintain a close
partnership with school ad
ministrators in order to pro
vide a safe school environ
ment,” she said.
She also provides security
for all after-school activities.
Powell is the coordinator
for the teen court program
for Bertie County Schools.
The program provides
training for middle and high
school students to perform
as courtroom personnel,
helping them develop the
skills needed to defend and
prosecute their peers.
Students act as bailiffs, ju
rors, attorneys and the clerk
of court in a trial court set
ting.
“The program helps train
volunteer students inter
ested in the criminal justice
system. The students are
trained to run the court
house, just like regular
court. The defendant that is
referred is judged by his or
her peers,” said Powell.
Her biggest success has
been as the creator and op
erator of the Phoenix Spa Di
version Program.
Powell’s program started
from an idea of finding a
way to empower the female
students at Bertie Middle
School.
“The idea came to me at a
basketball game and 1 asked
Principal Peele for a class
room for the program,” she
said.
Powell spent her Christmas
break and own resources to
transform a basic classroom
into a tranquil spa setting for
referred seventh grade girls.
The group meets about ev
ery two weeks and spends
time meditating, conducting
group discussions, writing
journal entries and learning
appropriate ways to resolve
conflict".
Powell also checks in with
the eight grade girls who
were previous spa members,
and occasionally opens the
spa to the staff for a time of
relaxation and thanks.
She also served as Bertie
Middle School’s cheerlead
ing coach.
Powell was promoted to
sergeant in the Bertie Coun
ty Sheriff’s Office in 2016.
She also continued her
education beyond her BLET
certification.
“When my daughters grad
uated high school, 1 made a
promise I would get a degree
before them to set an exam
ple,” she said.
Powell said her father set
the example for her to get a
degree by graduating with
an associate degree from
Nash Community College at
the age of 70.
“He was my motivator. He
was the first in my immedi
ate family to graduate from
college,” she continued.
Powell graduated in 2012
with a bachelor’s degree in
criminal justice and a minor
in homeland security, foren
sic science and crime scene
investigation from Kaplan
University. While maintain
ing a grade point average of
3.3.
In 2014 she graduated with
a master of science in lead
ership and executive man
agement from Kaplan Uni
versity, while maintaining a
3.2 grade point average.
Powell has also success
fully completed law enforce
ment related training courses
and received certifications
including CJLEADS training,
police law institute, narcot
ics investigation, D.A.R.E. of
ficer instructor, intermediate
law enforcement certifica
tion, school resource officer
certification, advanced law
enforcement training and
CPR instructor certification.
She also received an award
in 2017 from the Windsor/
Bertie Chamber of Com
merce for excellence in a law
enforcement officer.
“Bonnie’s administrative
and law enforcement skills
are second-to-none. She
shows exceptional attention
to detail while maintaining
a heavy workload. She is a
team player and a consum
mate professional,” said
Sheriff Holley.
“1 love working in Bertie
County. It is the most re
warding. I love working for
the sheriff’s office. If 1 had
known it would have been
this rewarding 1 would have
done it sooner. It is about
the joy and satisfaction you
can bring to a child,” Powell
said.
Powell is married to her
husband, James, and has
three daughters, Starkeisha
and twins Kristen and Jas
mine.
She also has three grand
children Benevola, Noah and
Eddie Christopher,
Powell said her husband
has always been supportive
of her career but her daugh
ters were a little nervous at
first.
“1 came into law enforce
ment to educate individuals,
especially our children on
the criminal justice system,”
she closed.
Leslie Beachboard can be
reached via email at lbeach-_
board@ncweeklies. com.
Wesson
From A1
tive for eastern North
Carolina.
“I want to provide
stronger and bolder
representation in Ra
leigh,” he said. “1 want
to be a strong advocate
for the citizens, and if
elected, 1 will work with
all people.”
Wesson said he is the
only Democratic candi
date to have announced
he will seek the office,
but he believes there
will be others. He said
if he were able to win
the Democratic nomi
nation, he also knows
there will be substan
Filing
tial Republican opposi
tion in November.
The other four mem
bers of the Bertie Coun
ty Board of Commis
sioners congratulated
Wesson on his efforts
and wished him well.
Wesson is in the mid
dle of his second four-
year term. If he were
to win, he would have
to vacate his seat on
the local board before
being sworn in to the
state house seat. If he
does not win, he will
remain on the county
commission.
Thadd White can be
reached via email at
twhite@ncweeklies.com.
From A1
Vasti James’ seat. Both
are Democrats.
In addition. Sen. Eri
ca Smith-lngram’s seat
will be on the ballot
as well as that of State
Rep. Bob Steinberg.
Steinberg has already
announced he will not
seek re-election.
Filing is held at the
Bertie County Board
of Elections office at
Lunch Break.
W(g fg There.
%
210 West Watson St. in
Windsor. The office is
open from 8:30 a.m. to 1
p.m. and 2-5 p.m. each
week day.
For more information,
call the elections office
at 252-794-5306.
Additional informa
tion is also available at
www.ncsbe.gov.
thadd White can be
reached via email at
twhite@ncweeklies. com.
KlSi
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