About

Calvin Adams - Professional Resume

Calvin Adams retired in 2015 with over 30 years of service as the Colonel and Director of Law Enforcement for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Provided leadership and overall authority for a statewide law enforcement agency with 1,200 employees, of which 900 were certified Florida sworn law enforcement officers. The recurring annual budget managed was $128,000,000.00, which included a fleet of 1,000 vehicles, 500 vessels, 100 all-terrain type vehicles, and 15 aircraft. As the director of a large Florida law enforcement agency, Colonel Adams has extensive public safety experience and made final decisions on all administrative, finance, personnel, and operational matters for modern civilian law enforcement agencies.

1985 – Florida Marine Patrol (FMP), Law Enforcement Recruit Academy, February/May

1985 – Certified FMP Florida Law Enforcement Officer, east coast of Florida

1990 – Promoted to Law Enforcement Investigator, east central Florida

1996 – Promoted to Lieutenant and relocated to the Tampa Bay area

1999 – Promoted to Captain, area supervisor for Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota,

Hardee, and Desoto Counties

1999 – FMP and GFC merged creating the FWC

2002 – Promoted to Major, assigned as Regional Commander. Responsible for an 18 county

area in North Central Florida

2006 – Transferred to Tallahassee and promoted to FWC Lieutenant Colonel, Deputy Director

2012 – Selected to be the Director of Law Enforcement, Colonel of the FWC

2015 – Served as the FWC Colonel until retirement

2016 – Volunteer support member, Crystal River Fire Department

2017 – Certified volunteer Firefighter l, Crystal River Fire Department

2020 – Assistant Fire Chief, Crystal River Fire Department

2023 – Current Fire Chief, Crystal River Fire Department

Served as a statewide commissioner for the Commission for Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA)
Graduate of the FBI National Academy, Session 237
Graduate of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Chief Executive Session
Original committee member for the development of the Florida Fusion Center, FDLE
Served on the Florida Fire Chief’s Association, Statewide Emergency Response Committee
Participated with the FBI- Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF)
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – Certified Incident Command Manager

Federal Certifications previously held:

US Department of the Interior – Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Agent

US Department of Commerce – National Marine Fisheries Agent

Elect Calvin Adams for Citrus County Sheriff- 2024

Calvin Adams retired in 2015 as the Colonel, Director of Law Enforcement for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) with over 30 years of service.

He provided leadership and overall authority for a statewide law enforcement agency with approximately 1,200 employees, of which 900 were certified Florida sworn law enforcement officers. The approximate annual budget he managed was $128,000,000.00, which included a fleet of approximately 1,000 vehicles, 500 vessels, 100 all-terrain type vehicles, and 15 aircraft. As the director of a large Florida law enforcement agency, Colonel Adams has extensive public safety experience and made final decisions on all administrative, finance, personnel, and operational matters that are presented to modern civilian law enforcement agencies.

Background

Law enforcement is a family tradition for Calvin Adams, Jr.

His father, Calvin Adams, Sr., after honorably serving in the U. S. Army 82^nd Airborne, joined the Florida Board of Conservation (which later became the Florida Marine Patrol- FMP), and the family moved to Inverness, Florida, Citrus County in 1964, when Calvin Jr was four weeks old. Calvin Sr worked his entire career in Citrus and Levy counties, achieving the rank of lieutenant.

Calvin Adams Jr’s uncle, James (Jamie) L. Adams, Jr, another honorable veteran of the U.S Army 82^nd Airborne, also served in law enforcement as a Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (GFC) officer and would go on to be a four term (16 years) Sheriff of Sumter County Florida. Both his father and his uncle each retired from law enforcement in leadership positions after 30 plus years of service. Two of his cousins (Jamie’s sons) also had careers with the FWC, each having served 25 years or more.

Calvin Jr, a fifth generation Floridian, born in Perry, Florida, knew from an early age that his passion was to become a law enforcement officer. His parents inspired and instilled in him strong ethical and Christian values. He graduated from Crystal River High School in 1982 and chose higher education by attending Santa Fe, and Central Florida colleges. His goal was to become eligible for employment as a law enforcement officer as soon as possible. While working full time, Adams Jr. obtained his Associate of Arts degree from Hillsborough Community College.

Experience

At the age of twenty-one, after attending two years of college, Adams Jr. competed for a position, and was selected by the Florida Marine Patrol (FMP) in January of 1985 to attend the FMP Law Enforcement Recruit Academy in Tallahassee. He graduated and was sworn in as a certified Florida Law enforcement Officer in May 1985. Calvin was assigned to work on the east coast of Florida in Indian River and Brevard Counties. He worked as a uniformed patrol Officer for five years and promoted to Law Enforcement Investigator in 1990. He worked as an east central Florida Regional Criminal Investigator with an area of expertise in Boating Homicide, and Environmental Crime Investigations. In 1996, Calvin promoted to Lieutenant and relocated to the Tampa Bay area. In 1999, he promoted to Captain, area supervisor for Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Hardee, and Desoto Counties. Also In 1999, FMP and GFC merged creating the FWC. He promoted to Major, assigned as a Regional Commander, and transferred to Lake City, Florida in 2002 with responsibility for an 18-county area in North Central Florida. In 2006, Calvin transferred to Tallahassee, Florida, and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, Deputy Director. In 2012, he was selected to be the Director of Law Enforcement, Colonel of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and continued to serve as the Colonel until his retirement in 2015.

Commendations

Colonel Adams has received many commendations, Awards of Merit, and Life-Saving awards. He has been deployed throughout Florida and the southeast working over thirty hurricane, and tropical storm details. In 2005, Colonel Adams served as the Florida Urban Search and Rescue Team (USAR) Law Enforcement Field Incident Commander for over 200 state law enforcement officers from multiple agencies to the State of Mississippi for Hurricane Katrina. In addition, he has deployed around the state many times responding to major events related to floods, wildfires, tornados, super bowls, Presidential protection details, Gubernatorial inauguration details, port security, political conventions, civil unrest, and other significant events.

Education and Certifications

Colonel Calvin Adams Jr is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, Session 237 and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Chief Executive Session Course. Federal Certifications included: US Department of the Interior – Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Agent, US Department of Commerce – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – National Marine Fisheries Services Agent, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Incident Command, The National Oil Spill Response School.

He has certified law enforcement and public safety education in: Legal Issues, Line Supervision, Leadership for Law Enforcement Executives, Law Enforcement Patrol Operations, Law Enforcement Traffic Speed and Radar Measurement, Conflict Resolution, Employee Background Investigation, Criminal Investigations, Internal Affairs case management, Investigative Interviewing, Crime Analysis, First Responder, Boating Homicide Crash Investigation and Reconstruction, Forensic Photography, Death Investigation, Florida Division of Emergency Management – State Emergency Response Team (SERT), Tactical Waterborne Security – Tracking and Detecting Persons (SOG), Ecosystem Management, and Advanced Prosecution of Crimes, to name some.

Community Service and Memberships

Colonel Calvin Adams Jr served as a statewide commissioner for the Commission for Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA). He was an original committee member for the development of the Florida Fusion Center under the direction of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). Colonel Adams served on the Florida Fire Chief’s Association, Statewide Emergency Response Committee to implement the Florida Urban Search and Rescue Team (USAR), Statewide Emergency Response Plan (SERP). He participated with the FBI- Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).

He is known statewide and in the southeast from his current and past involvement and memberships in the FBI-National Academy Associates (FBINAA), International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), State Law Enforcement Chief’s Association (SLECA), Florida Sheriff’s Association (FSA), Florida Police Chief’s Association (FPCA), Florida Fire Chief’s Association (FFCA), FWC Officers Association, Gold Shield Foundation, Florida Marine Intelligence Unit (FMIU), Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA), and Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA).

After retiring and moving back to Citrus County, Calvin Adams Jr, has continued to serve our community as a volunteer firefighter with the Crystal River Fire Department. He completed the fire operations training and became Florida certified as a volunteer Combat Firefighter, (FF1). He is currently an active member of the Crystal River Fire Department and is serving as Assistant Fire Chief.

Calvin Adams Jr and his wife, Olga Mendonca Adams, both grew up in Citrus County, and have many family members living in the local area. They have two children and two grandchildren.