Chief Sammy Stone to retire from South Georgia Technical College

   For the past two decades. South Georgia Technical College Director of Campus Safety and Police Chief Sammy Stone has been protecting the faculty, staff, and most importantly the students attending SGTC.  He and his family made their home on the Americus campus to provide the college with seven-day, 24-hour protection.  Today, he has announced his plans to retire effective June 30, 2025.

   “The right person for the job,” was the way his supervisor described Chief Stone when he first went to work at SGTC full-time in June 2004.  And that is the same sentiment that his supervisors expressed about him today when he decided it was time to retire and spend more time with his family, especially his grandchildren.

   “I have mixed emotions, because South Georgia Technical College is like a family and they have been my second family for over 20 years,” said Chief Stone when he announced his intentions to retire as the Chief of Police and the Director of Campus Safety.  “I love the students.  They keep me young, but I also enjoy the faculty and staff. This was not an easy decision but I felt like it was time.”

   “We are certainly going to miss Chief Stone,” said SGTC President Dr. John Watford.  “He has kept our college safe and that is no small feat when you consider all the things that can happen on a residential college campus.  He was and is the right person for this position and he has done an excellent job.  I wish him all the best because he has certainly earned the opportunity to enjoy this next stage of his life.”

   Chief Stone worked for four different Presidents and had three different supervisors during his tenure at SGTC.  He worked for President or Director Dea Pounders as a part-time security officer prior to being hired full-time by then President Jon Johnson.  He later worked for President Sparky Reeves and now works for President Dr. John Watford.  His main three supervisors during those full-time years were retired Vice President of Administrative Services Janice Davis, retired Assistant to the President Don Smith and currently, Vice President of Student Affairs Eulish Kinchens.

   “They have all had my back,” said Stone when he reflected on his time working at South Georgia Technical College.  Stone was actually taking classes at SGTC in the Automotive Technology program and the Criminal Justice program while working full-time at Georgia Southwestern as a campus safety officer.  He is a proud graduate of both of those programs and has an Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice.

   In 2004, then Director of Campus Life Brandon Harrell told Stone that a position might be opening up because he was going to be the new SGTC women’s intercollegiate basketball coach and would not be able to oversee campus housing.  Stone was working part-time for SGTC at that time as a security officer and working closely with Harrell providing security at the gymnasium for the Jets basketball games.  He applied and the rest is history.

   Chief Stone, who is a veteran and a retired member of the National Guard, saw service oversees twice.  He worked as a campus safety officer at Georgia Southwestern for nine and a half years before accepting the full-time Director of Campus Safety at SGTC.  He has also worked part-time for several law enforcement agencies and is currently also serving at the Police Chief for the city of Smithville.  He received his POST training in Tifton while at GSW.

   “This is a great place to work,” said Stone.  “There are great folks here.  I have worked with a lot of different people here and never had an altercation with our faculty or staff.  And I love our students.  I would say that my greatest accomplishment here is the bond that I have been able to create with the students.”

  Over the past 20 years, Stone has built lasting connections with the students he has mentored.  He has accompanied students on field trips like SkillsUSA competitions and to the national basketball tournaments across the United States.  “I really enjoyed working with our resident advisors (RA’s). I have been the father or grandfather to a lot of our students,” said Stone.  “I still hear from former students on Father’s Day or Christmas.  And it doesn’t matter where we travel, I usually hear a former student holler out, ‘Chief Stone.’”

   When asked about living on campus in the housing apartment, he laughed.  “My wife really loved it and I am not sure she is ready to leave.  I had to be out a lot and anytime she drove up, she knew she was being protected or that someone was watching out for her.”

   He also said that his wife was a big help here at SGTC.  “My wife gave me a lot of good advice about working with students.  When my temper might flare up, she would always caution me to look at my son and say something like remember he is going to grow up and be a student on a campus one day and might need someone to look out for or guide him.”

   And his youngest son, Jamarcus, did grew up on the SGTC campus.  “He got to be at all the basketball games and meet the players and practice with them.  It was a special place and we really enjoyed our time here.  I feel like I have always had a connection with the students and to me that was important.  I talked with them and even more importantly I listened to them.  They knew they could knock on the door if they had a problem.”

  In addition to his youngest son, Jamarcus, Sammy and his wife Sherralyn “Ann” Stone have two other children, a daughter Cynthia and a son, Christopher.  They have five grandchildren and one of them attended SGTC.  Chief Stone had the opportunity to work and spend time with one of his granddaughters while she was on campus in the medial assisting program.  His son, Jamarcus, also attended SGTC in the marketing program and is now in the Air Conditioning Technology program.

   “I am thankful for South Georgia Tech and for the community support that we receive.  I have always had a good relationship with our law enforcement in the Sheriff’s office and the Americus Police Department and I knew they had my back if I needed them,” added Stone.  “That was a good feeling.”

   As he prepares to retire, Stone has some advice for the next Police Chief and Director of Campus Safety.  “Don’t bring the streets in here with you.  By that I mean, spend time with the students, get to know them.  Build relationships with them.  Let them know you care about them and want them to do well.  I think that has been the secret to my success.  Building relationships that last.”

   And that is exactly what Chief Stone has done at SGTC, built relationships which made him the perfect person for the job and one that will be hard to replace!