SHERIFF CHRIS NOCCO
Sheriff / Pasco County
Chris Nocco is the Sheriff of Pasco County, a position he has held since former Florida Governor Rick Scott appointed him in 2011. He was elected to the position in 2012, re-elected without opposition in 2016 and re-elected, again without opposition, in 2020.
Prior to becoming Sheriff and working at the Pasco Sheriff’s Office as a Captain and Major, Nocco served with the Philadelphia Public School Police, the Fairfax County (VA) Police Department and the Broward County (FL) Sheriff’s Office. He was a first responder to the attacks of 9/11 and the Washington, DC sniper incident and anthrax attacks.
For a few years, Nocco stepped away from law enforcement and served as the Staff Director in the Policy and Procedure Office of the Florida House of Representatives. There, he was responsible for domestic security, criminal justice, emergency management, economic development and transportation issues. Later, Nocco became Deputy Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. Chris, his wife Bridget, and three children are also active at church and youth sports.
During his tenure as Sheriff, Nocco has implemented several innovations at the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. The Pasco Sheriff’s Office was the first agency in the Tampa Bay Area to adopt body worn cameras. Nocco also led the way to develop F1RST (Florida’s Forensic Institute for Research, Security and Tactics), a one-of-a-kind training center to create synergy between academia, public safety and the private sector. FIRST is also engaged in creating jobs for the region and opportunities for students to further pursue their interest in numerous fields.
Nocco also championed hiring practices that lead to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office hiring numerous veterans and being recognized as a Patriotic Employer by the Employers Support of the Guard and Reserve. In addition, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer unit, under Nocco’s leadership, was named the 2022 School Resource Officer unit of the year by the Florida Association of School Resource Officers.
During his tenure, Nocco has also focused the Pasco Sheriff’s Office on academic partnerships and research while creating relationships with numerous community partners throughout Pasco County.
Honors Received:
- Honorary Doctorate from St. Leo University
- Leadership Award from Baycare Behavioral Health
- Legislator of the Year award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness
- Recognized as a Patriotic Employer by the Employers Support of the Guard and Reserve
- 2022 Distinguished Amigo Award by the Viva Tampa Bay Hispanic Community Awards
Education:
- Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Delaware
- Naval Postgraduate School’s Executive Leadership Program
- Undergraduate Certificate in Emergency Management from Florida State University
- Certificate in Business Excellence from Vanderbilt University
- Certificate in Enterprise Risk Management from Butler University
- Executive Certificates in Technology, Operations and Value Chain Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management
- Leading Digital Transformation in Health Care from the Harvard Medical School
- Certificate in Designing Thinking from the Joint Special Operations University
- Certificate in Health and Humanitarian Supply Chain Management from Georgia Tech
- Certificate in Cyber Security from the University of South Florida.
- Graduate of the National Sheriff’s Association Institute
- Graduate of the 101st session of the FBI National Executive Institute
- Completion of the Foresight Academy Program at the University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business
Boards and Service:
- Current member of the Florida Statewide Drug Policy Council, appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis
- Previous member of the United States Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council, appointed by President Donald Trump
- Previous member of the Enterprise Florida Board of Directors, appointed by Senate President Wilton Simpson
- Previous member of the Space Florida Board of Directors, appointed by Senate President Wilton Simpson
- Past Chair of the Florida Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Criminal Justice Committee, appointed by Attorney General Ashley Moody
- Past Chair of the Florida Sheriff’s Association Statewide Task Force
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