To the Editor:

I am writing the letter as a very strong recommendation for James Clarke for Isle of Wight Sheriff. I have known James for nearly 17 years. I met James when we were in the Marine Corps Reserves together and he was my Gunnery Sergeant. At the time, I was also young police officer with the City of Norfolk. Having been informed that James was at the time Smithfield Police Sergeant, I went to him many times for advice both as a young Marine and police officer. It is the leadership and advice that James displayed unselfishly through his experience that helped shape my path in life.

James is quick to congratulate coworkers and builds an atmosphere of trust with his deputies. His attitude is an asset to his management skills. He continually builds people up, deals with difficult situations with incredible posture, and focuses on the positives. With the incredible pressure law enforcement faces on a daily basis, it would be easy for James to get down, but he stands firm that the situation won’t affect his attitude. James’ internal bearing is always right on with a focus on the right attitude. He has a cheerful attitude, which makes others feel good when he’s around and always accentuates the positive in most situations. He keeps a steady, positive attitude that helps her employees know everything is OK — even when it seemingly isn’t OK!

James has the valuable skill of communicating difficult concepts in easy-to-understand language and good good at communicating difficult messages with employees, management, and citizens. James promotes a team-centered environment and is a proven team player. He coordinates individual workers together to meet deadlines, work effectively as a team and encourages people to work together towards a common goal to make sure the job is well done which promotes internal leadership in his deputies. He makes a positive contribution to morale and accepts constructive criticism positively. James shows sensitivity and consideration to other people’s feelings and creates a positive and inclusive work environment.

James constantly searches for new ideas and ways to improve efficiency, which helps creates an exciting atmosphere for his department: one in which new ideas are rewarded and encouraged. He doesn’t accept “We’ve always done it this way” as a solution; instead, he constantly reviews solutions to see if they are the most effective way of doing things. James encourages his deputies to think outside of the box and to be more creative with solutions which ultimately benefits the community

James is one of our hardest citizens and demonstrates that he cares about his job, his coworkers, and the community. He consistently impresses with his willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done. He faithfully commits to get the job done and consistently performs at or above his deputies’ expectations. James is a loyal and trustworthy leader for both his deputies and the citizens that he serves at the pleasure of.

Thomas Glaser
Lieutenant, Norfolk
Sheriff’s Office
USMC Veteran