Richard Comerford Named Florida Department of Corrections Secretary
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed Richard Comerford to serve as the next Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC). Secretary Comerford takes over the role from former FDC Secretary Ricky Dixon, who announced his retirement on May 28 and officially retired on June 30 after 30 years of dedicated service to the state.
According to a press release from Gov. DeSantis’s office, Secretary Comerford has more than 40 years of correctional experience, most recently serving as FDC’s Deputy Secretary, where he provided executive oversight for the nation’s third-largest correctional system. Secretary Comerford began his career with FDC in 1986 as a correctional officer at Okaloosa Correctional Institution. He has held a broad range of supervisory, investigative and command roles throughout his career, including Assistant Deputy Secretary of Institutions and multiple warden and assistant warden assignments across the state.
“Richard Comerford has dedicated more than four decades of service to the Florida Department of Corrections and has been instrumental in advancing the Department’s mission,” said Gov. DeSantis “His experience, leadership and commitment to public safety make him well qualified to serve as Secretary, and I am confident he will continue to build on the Department’s success.”
“I am humbled and eternally grateful for Governor Ron DeSantis and the trust he has bestowed upon me to lead the Florida Department of Corrections. It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the people of FDC and lead this great agency alongside my friend and former Secretary Ricky Dixon,” Secretary Comerford told Correctional News. “He leaves behind a legacy of leadership and love for staff, and I am committed to carrying that flame forward as I continue to build upon his successes and work relentlessly to ensure the men of women of FDC have the resources they need to uphold and advance our vital public safety mission.”
In an interview with Correctional News during the CLA On the Hill event held June 22–25 in Washington, D.C., Dixon described his retirement from FDC as “bittersweet,” but said that that Secretary Comerford’s leadership will provide continuity to carry on progress the Department has made in taking care of staff, assessing physical plant and security equipment needs, and focusing on reentry planning.
“He’s one of the most competent corrections professionals I’ve ever known,” said Dixon. “His fingerprints are on every success we’ve had.”
Secretary Comerford holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from the University of Florida and is an active member of the American Correctional Association, Florida Sheriffs Association and North American Association of Wardens & Superintendents.