The Georgia Sheriff's Association on Wednesday named Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum its 2023 Sheriff of the Year.
In an interview with AccessWDUN, Mangum said she was in disbelief when she was told she would be receiving the award.
"I'm very humbled and blessed," Mangum said. "I was very emotional about it because it's big. There's 159 counties and there's so many great sheriffs, and so to be chosen by your peers, it just meant so much to me."
Mangum has been with the Jackson County Sheriff's Office for 35 years and is currently in her 11th year as sheriff of the agency. She previously announced in 2022 she would not be running for another term and will retire in Dec. 2024.
"What a way to retire, to receive an honor such as this," Mangum said.
Mangum said she has always been and will continue to be a sheriff of the people.
"I've lived in Jackson County my entire life, it's my home, and to me to be the sheriff you're just serving the people, you've got to have a servant's heart," Mangum said. "It takes a lot. There's a lot of sacrifice of your personal time, your family, but I've enjoyed every bit of it."
The award was given during an annual banquet Wednesday at Jekyll Island. The annual event also includes training for sheriffs across the state as well as a Georgia Sheriffs Youth Homes Banquet.
"These children at the Youth Homes, when they get 18 and graduate high school and they choose to go to college, it's fully funded by the Georgia Sheriff's Association, the Georgia Sheriff's Foundation and through fundraisers, benefits and donations," Mangum said. "Those kids can go to college and come out debt free. They're abused or abandoned children that, no fault of their own, have nowhere to live."
