S. Donald Godell
Sheriff from 1985-2000
S. Donald Godell was born and raised in the heart of Copper Country and graduated from Chassell High School in Houghton County. He attended Michigan State University and served in the United States Air Force Security Service attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant. He served 27 ½ years with the Michigan State Police during which time he earned several awards: Michigan State Police Professional Excellence Award; Detroit Police Department Commissioners Award; voted Michigan State Police Officer of the Year (1982) by the V.F.W. and was nominated by them for the National Police Officer of the Year; voted Police Officer of the Year (1983) by the American Legion 40/8 Club and was the Michigan State Police Nominee that year for the Parade Magazine's Police Officer of the Year; received the Michigan State Police Meritorious Service Award (twice) and received the Professional Excellence Award. Of his 27 ½ years spent with the Michigan State Police 11 of those years were spent at the Lakeview Post as a Detective Sergeant.
In 1984 he ran and was elected sheriff of Montcalm County and served for 4 terms, retiring in 2000 after 44 years of public service in law enforcement. As sheriff he was instrumental in establishing programs that benefited our community. Those include: specialized training for Montcalm County deputies, started the county D.A.R.E. program, coordinated the start of the Central Michigan Enforcement Narcotics Team, established Central Dispatch and enhanced the 911 emergency phone system, received a federal grant to add deputies to work the community policing program, started the prisoner reimbursement program that added over $41,000 (at that time) to the county's general fund, oversaw the expansion of the jail by 32 beds, started an inmate high school education program and community corrections, and expanded the Jail Chaplaincy program to include anger control, parenting skills and alcoholics anonymous. He was also awarded with the Montcalm County Sheriff's Department Professional Excellence Award.
He and his wife, Audrey, are the parents of three children - Don, Susan and Mark. They reside in the Stanton area.
(Sources: pamphlet from the August 6, 1996 Montcalm County Primary) |
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