Inducted: 2017
Winter Haven Senior High Graduate,
Joe Nathan Halman Jr. spent most of his career with the Polk County Sheriff's Office, making history as the first African American to be sworn in as Chief of Police in Polk County. He was recently named Deputy County Manager for Public Safety by the Board of County Commissioners, where he oversees a $90 million budget for fire rescue, emergency management, county probation and code enforcement. Halman Jr. actively serves in leadership roles with numerous community organizations, including the Bartow Breakfast Rotary, Polk County Law Enforcement Association and the Florida African American Education Alliance Board. He earned his master's degree in Ministerial Leadership from Southeastern University, and serves as senior pastor and founder of the Greater Works Ministries of Winter Haven.