Candidate: Don Stultz is an active candidate for our Walker County Sheriff. His experience in the field of law enforcement, supervision, and management speaks volumes of his work ethic, accomplishments, dedication, and professionalism spanning decades. Don is a lifelong resident of our county and cares for the safety of our youth, adults, and seniors. He is a family man with his family roots going back to the 1800’s in our county. His parents, siblings, and wife were and are highly involved individuals and professionals in our county. Don’s formal education and training traces the career path of a law enforcement professional with decades of education, training, and practical application.
Family: Don is married to Maggie E. Stultz, the PrinciPAL of LaFayette High School. She holds Bachelor's, Master's, and Specialist's degrees in education, including a degree from the University of Alabama (Roll Tide), as she says with enthusiasm. Under her leadership, the students and faculty of LHS have experienced a defined increase in scholarships, recognition, new curriculum programs, and Rambler spirit. Currently, Maggie is a professional educator completing her 31st year in education within Walker County. She is the daughter of Chattanooga business leader Jim Eldridge and the late Janice Eldridge. Don’s brother Robert Stultz is a Walker County Commissioner in District 4, and he sits as Vice Chair of the Commission. Robert is a medical professional who holds a Doctorate in Health Science. He keeps the family tradition of farming alive, growing seasonal crops and caring for animals on his farm in South Walker County. He is married to Rachel Stultz, who is a nurse executive at Louisiana Health Care.
Parents: Don is the son of a decorated WWII veteran, local businessman, and civic leader Don Stultz, Sr., who owned and operated Suburban Furniture from 1962 until 1981. In 1972, Don, Sr. and other local businessmen started Senior Citizens Day. Years later after his untimely passing in 1981, the popular countywide event was named in Don’s father's name. It still continues today as Don Stultz, Sr. Senior Citizens Day in Walker County. Mr. Stultz was part of the LaFayette Rotary Club for many years and a Paul Harris Fellow. He loved our community, Walker County, and our country. His mother, Nell Robinson Stultz, worked in the medical field for over 60 years in service to others and was also a patriot. Mrs. Nell was the Administrator of LaFayette Medical Center in LaFayette until it closed in 1990. Mrs. Nell also worked on the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee in defense of our country. This wartime project from 1942-1946 was the design and blueprinting of the historic atomic bomb that put the United States ahead of Nazi Germany during World War II.
Schools/Education: Don graduated from LaFayette High School in 1976 and lettered in track and field. He attended colleges and universities including Dalton State College, University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Brenau University, North Western University School of Staff and Command (Illinois), and Columbus State University (Georgia). He has pending degrees in Business Administration, Criminal Justice, and Public Administration.
Work History: Don’s first paying job was cleaning out chicken houses and spreading chicken litter on gardens and yards in Walker County with a hand shovel. He remembers his great uncle and himself loading the 1956 Dodge pickup truck by hand and then spreading the shavings and litter, where he earned 25 cents per hour. This was not a bad wage for an eleven-year-old at the time.
Don also worked for his father in their family furniture store, Suburban Discount Furniture, as a delivery boy. He also bundled and delivered our local paper, the Walker County Messenger, throughout our area. Don also has a love for farming. With deep family roots based in agriculture and farming that Don’s family began in the late 1800s, he pursued this heritage that he still follows today. During the summers he cut, raked, and bailed square bales with local farmers. Today, he plants rotational crops to maintain solid moisture and reduce erosion, benefitting wildlife and providing clean water.
His real passion for service to others came in the form of public safety and public service. Inspired by Georgia State Trooper Dewayne Broome, Don began his career in law enforcement with the City of LaFayette as a reserve police officer and was later employed as a patrolman. He was soon selected and hired by the Georgia State Patrol in 1980, and after an extensive background check and physical fitness tests, he began a lifelong dream of being part of the Georgia State Patrol.
Don’s law enforcement career would span over four decades and take him across our great state in numerous capacities as a leader during many manmade and natural disasters including the 2015 tornado series and the floods of Albany. His service and training also carried him to other states and into the Federal Republic of Germany. During his service to our state, Don worked on Vice Presidential visits, Governor’s details, and the 1996 Olympics. He continues to advance his skillset and has logged over 3,047 hours of training in his career.
In 2017, as Troop Commander of Troop A, Don supervised the operation of the Georgia State Patrol in the fourteen Northwest Georgia counties. This included seven state patrol posts, the Troop Emergency Communications Division, and the Troop’s Specialized Reconstruction Team (SCRT). At one time under his command, Troop A’s personnel totaled approximately 115 members with the majority being sworn members of law enforcement. Under Don’s leadership, Troop A was a leader among troops throughout the state, and in 2018 was awarded the prestigious TOP Troop Award. This award, that had never been awarded to the Troop, was given to Captain Stultz and the members of Troop A by the Georgia State Patrol Command Staff.
Training: Don has executive leadership level training at Columbus State College in a multi-faceted program titled Command College. This highly acclaimed school included budgeting, finance, grants, personnel management, human resources, investigations, and crime scene management. Don was enrolled in 2016 in an upper management leadership training from North Western University of Illinois. One of only a few graduates from the Georgia Department of Public Safety, Don graduated with the honor of being selected to receive the top student Kreml Award by his colleagues, professors, and fellow instructors. Don has also been trained by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) in officer-involved shootings and use-of-force investigations. This training included on-scene response, evidence preservation, use-of-force investigations, and media relations. He has received executive level training with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in Law Enforcement Executive Development. This highly desirable training encompassed management level operations in the top leadership positions of all law enforcement agencies.
GSG9 Anti-Terrorism: In the Federal Republic of Germany, Don was one of six Georgia state troopers to ever complete this coveted thirty days of training.This highly demanding physical, technical, and skillset included intelligence gathering, physical training, sniper training, handgun tactics, quick deployment from helicopters, and VIP protection tactics and protocols.
Civic Organizations: Don has been part of many national and international organizations and previously served in the LaFayette Rotary Club. Currently, he volunteers for five non-profit groups, including the Sexual Assault Victims Advocacy Center, serving three Northwest Georgia counties including Walker County. He is also the area Chairman for Ducks Unlimited of Northwest Georgia. Ducks Unlimited is both a national and international conservation group dedicated to our outdoors, clean water, and health among birds and other wildlife, as well as people. Don also enjoys the history and heritage of our county and state. Currently, he is part of the historical Marsh House Committee, serving as a local community board member.
Awards/Recognition: Don has been:
Recognized by the Georgia State Legislature for his leadership at the Rock Spring, Walker County crematory manmade disaster where over 339 bodies were discovered in the open, shallow graves, and other improper handling of the deceased loved ones within our community.
Recognized by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) as a leader in both traffic and public safety.
Received the prestigious Franklin M. Kreml Award for Public Safety Leadership from North Western University.
Received the Top Troop Award for Troop A from the Command Staff of the Georgia State Patrol.