by Elizabeth RuizSusan Pamerleau is walking into the history books as the first woman elected to the office of Bexar County Sheriff. The Republican ousted Sheriff Amadeo Ortiz in Tuesday's election.
Ortiz noted during the campaign that Pamerleau has no law enforcement experience, but the retired Air Force Major General and former USAA executive countered that she has the management skills necessary to run the sheriff's office in an efficient and effective manner.
"With an organization that has 1,700 people and a $100 million budget, the role of the Bexar County Sheriff is to lead and manage the resources so that the deputies and the detention officers and the civilian employees can do their job," said Pamerleau.
Ortiz says she'll realize soon enough that it's a complex operation.
"I wish her all the luck in the world. It's a very difficult job and I think she'll realize when she gets into office that it's not a piece of cake," said Ortiz.
Pamerleau says she's ready to take over.
"We ran a good race and I thank all of my supporters. We just didn't get enough votes to win," said Ortiz.
"The first thing that I'm going to do is focus on hiring the best leadership team and making sure that we're taking care of the deputies. If you take care of your people, they're going to take care of the mission, which is public safety," Pamerleau told 550 KTSA News.
Ortiz says she'll realize soon enough that it's a complex operation.
"I wish her all the luck in the world. It's a very difficult job and I think she'll realize when she gets into office that it's not a piece of cake," said Ortiz.
Pamerleau says she's ready to take over.
"We ran a good race and I thank all of my supporters. We just didn't get enough votes to win," said Ortiz.
"The first thing that I'm going to do is focus on hiring the best leadership team and making sure that we're taking care of the deputies. If you take care of your people, they're going to take care of the mission, which is public safety," Pamerleau told 550 KTSA News.
