Chief of Staff is a highly responsible management position that acts as Assistant Sheriff and assumes all responsibilities in the Sheriff's absence. The Chiefs of Staff also ensure that all the activities within each Bureau is in line with the overall mission of the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
Chief of Staff Towles Bigelow
Chief of Staff Tom Wilder
Chief of Staff Dan Kuhn
Towles began his career in law enforcement over four decades ago as a security officer in the U.S. Air Force.
He joined the Sheriff’s Office in 1961 as a deputy sheriff and worked his way through the ranks having served in many areas of the Sheriff’s Office from investigations to corrections.
He also served a stint as an Investigator with 5th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office. He is a graduate of the Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute Senior Leadership Program.
Tom started his career in law enforcement with the Ocala Police Department in 1982 as a Police Officer before coming to the Sheriff’s Office in March 1984 as a deputy sheriff in Patrol.
He worked his way through the ranks as a Patrol Sergeant, Special Operations Lieutenant, Patrol Captain, Assistant Bureau Chief, Major/Bureau Chief Community Policing Bureau and finally Watch Command Bureau Chief before becoming Chief of Staff.
In 1999 he graduated from the Administrative Officers Management Program (AOMP) at North Carolina State University and has an Associate Degree from Central Florida Community College, a Bachelors Degree in Criminology and a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice from Saint Leo University.
Dan has worked with Law Enforcement since he began his career as an assistant state attorney for the 5th Judicial Circuit. He prosecuted cases ranging from DUI to fraud to robbery and homicide.
He served as General Counsel for the Sheriff's Office, handling all legal matters that affected the agency, before he became Chief of Staff.
Dan has a bachelors degree from the University of Florida. He also received his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Florida. He received his Law Enforcement Certification from Santa Fe Community College and is a graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy.
