On January 1, Tia McWilliams was sworn into office as the Taliaferro County, Georgia sheriff, becoming the first Black woman to fill the role in the county’s history.
“I don’t think it took long. I think to everything there is a time and season and God is always in control,” McWilliams said in an interview with NewsChannel 6.
“This is a male-dominated world, but the words of the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, it’s a man’s world, but it wouldn’t be nothing without a woman or girl,” she said.
McWilliams has been with the Taliaferro County Sheriff’s Office for almost 20 years, serving as the Department’s Chief Deputy. Her election to office came after former Sheriff Marc Richards retired.
A native of Georgia, Sheriff McWilliams says she will lead her team “to the best of [her] ability.” She plans to build a bigger 911 operation center for the county. “I would also like to be able to establish an in-house training for our officers to be able to train and grow and develop their potential skills,” she explained.
McWilliams hopes that her election to the role will be an inspiration to others. “Allow me to be a beacon of light in this world and allow me to shine bright for all those who I encounter,” she said.
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