Sheriff Mark Curran is pleased to announce the promotion of the following law enforcement personnel:
- Sgt. Sara Balmes promoted to Lieutenant
- Deputy Jacob Novak promoted to Sergeant
- Deputy David Tomasello promoted to Sergeant
Lt. Sara Balmes graduated from Marquette University with an M.A. in Public Service and Illinois State University with a B.A. in Human Resource Management. In addition, she graduated from Northwestern University’s Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command, Session 425 in 2017. Balmes joined the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in 2003 and recently served as a shift commander on Highway Patrol and as a Public Information Officer, implementing both Facebook and Twitter. Sara is also a recognized leader in the implementation of Naloxone training and she continues to oversee the Lake County Sheriff’s Office policies and procedures of Naloxone training and supply, and state and county reporting requirements. Lt. Balmes currently oversees the Civil Process Unit and is a member of the CALEA committee and an ILEAP Accreditation Manager and Assessor.
Sergeant Jacob Novak graduated from Northern Illinois University with a B.A. in History. Jacob began his law enforcement career in 2001 with service to the Villages of Lindenhurst and Deerfield, and the City of Waukegan. Novak joined the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in 2011 and currently serves in the Criminal Investigation Unit. He is the coordinator for the Lake County Area Detectives Group and the Lake County Sheriff’s Tobacco Compliance Program as well as a lead Crime Scene Investigator, and a Certified Arson Investigator.
Sergeant David Tomasello graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside with a B.S. in Business Management. He joined the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in 2004 and currently serves in the Criminal Investigations Unit. He is a School Resource Officer for Beach Park Middle School, an Elderly Service Officer and a Juvenile Officer. In addition, Tomasello serves on the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Peer Support Team and Community Safety Team, and is a member of the Juvenile Officer Association, Multidisciplinary Adult Protective Services Team and the Lake County Sheriff’s Association.
Sheriff Curran stated, “I am proud of the individual achievements of each of these law enforcement professionals. They demonstrated a commitment to raising the bar in law enforcement and I look forward to their leadership in the coming years. I am also grateful to the family members for supporting their profession – there are many sacrifices made in this occupation, and family and peer support is key for a successful career.”
Photo L2R:
Chief Dave Wathen, Undersheriff Dave Hare, Sergeant David Tomasello, Sergeant Jacob Novak, Sheriff Mark Curran, Lieutenant Sara Balmes, Chief Jennifer Witherspoon and Chief Jon Petrillo.
End of Release