Sheriff Bob Gualtieri took office in November 2011, and is a 30-year Pinellas County resident. He has over 20 years of service and experience with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office serving as Chief Deputy (second in command) and General Counsel. Throughout his career, Sheriff Gualtieri worked in the agency’s three major bureaus–Detention and Corrections, Investigative Operations and Patrol.
While assigned to Narcotics, then Detective Gualtieri conducted international and domestic drug and money laundering investigations, and became an expert in electronic surveillance. Prior to his career with the Sheriff’s Office, Bob Gualtieri served as a patrol officer with the former Dunedin Police Department.
In 1998, Gualtieri left the Sheriff’s Office to pursue a law degree. In 2002, he graduated cum laude from the Stetson University College of Law. When in law school, Bob Gualtieri interned with the United States Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida; for the Honorable Richard A. Lazarra, United States District Judge for the Middle District; and with the Pinellas County State Attorney’s Office. In 2003, he joined the Tampa firm of Ford & Harrison, LLP in private practice.
He returned to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office in 2006 as General Counsel, and was appointed Chief Deputy, second in command, by Sheriff Jim Coats in January 2008. Gualtieri performed the duties of Chief Deputy and General Counsel until he was appointed Sheriff by Governor Rick Scott upon the retirement of Sheriff Jim Coats in November 2011.
Sheriff Gualtieri enjoys many community affiliations including the Sheriff’s Police Athletic League (PAL), the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast, the Gold Shield Foundation, the Rotary of Eastlake Sunrise, and is a Lifetime Honorary Member of the Florida Sheriff’s Association.
Sheriff Gualtieri is also a member of the American Bar Association, and the Bar Associations of St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Hillsborough County, the Federal Bar Association and many more professional associations. He also has Bar Admissions to the Florida Supreme Court, all Florida courts and the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.
Sheriff Gualtieri is married with three daughters.
