Beth Darnell was appointed to fill the role of Rabun County Sheriff Monday following the arrest and subsequent suspension of Sheriff Chad Nichols.
Darnell, who has worked with the sheriff's office since 2010 and also serves as jail administrator for the county, said sheriff was a role she did not expect to find herself in at this point in her career.
"It was a surprise receiving the news of the arrest," Darnell said Wednesday. "Fortunately for me, I do have great support with our community here in Rabun County. I've received a lot of messages and love and prayers."
Darnell was officially appointed as sheriff by Rabun County Superior Court Judge Russell Smith. She will fill the role for 60 to 90 days amid Governor Brian Kemp's suspension of Nichols, who was arrested on charges including sexual battery and public indecency. No other details on Nichols' allegations have been made public.
Darnell said she has been working to keep the sheriff's office together during the controversy.
"I'm trying to keep the morale up, and I'm trying to keep communication alive between (the jail and the sheriff's office), and with all the officers and the deputies," Darnell said. "I want everyone to feel like their voice is important and that we can hang together through this, and that we don't all have to leave."
Darnell said she has taken management and human resources courses during her time with the sheriff's office. She said those courses and her work as jail administrator have prepared her to take on the role of sheriff.
"I already handle budgets and talking with commissioners and dealing with the public on a daily basis as the jail administrator," Darnell said. "It has just tripled the amount I'm dealing with. I'm working 9 to 12-hour days, where before it was maybe 8 or 9-hour days. My days are much, much longer and I'm returning a lot more phone calls and emails. I do feel like I'm a little behind on some of them, but I'm trying to get back to everybody as often and as quick as I can."
Darnell said she wants the public to know that she cares about the community and that she is working to maintain the level of service provided by the sheriff's office.
"I am Rabun County. I grew up here. I love Rabun County, and we're always going to first and foremost be a sheriff's office that serves our community," Darnell said. "We can have misfortunes occur within our department just like people can have occur in their families, but you have to keep going, and that's what we're going to do."
