The Lincoln/Sagadahoc Regional Jail Authority made a conditional offer of employment to Leonard R. LeGrand, from Sag Harbor, N.Y., for the Correctional Administrator's position vacant due to the resignation of Wayne Applebee, at their monthly meeting last week.

LeGrand will come to the Two Bridges Regional Jail with over 30 years of experience in law enforcement. He is currently a deputy sheriff investigator captain for the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department in New York.

He started his career in law enforcement as a police office in Sag Harbor Village, N.Y. in 1977, becoming a member of the sheriff's department in 1980. He started out as a deputy sheriff, and moved up the ranks to Captain Investigator.

He holds a Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice; a Bachelor of Science degree in biology; and has completed additional graduate school work in public administration, policy, personnel, and finance.

Following the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, LeGrand was assigned to the Logistics Branch at the New York City Mayor's Command Center. During that assignment he was responsible for the sheriff's department's office mobilization for protective measures within Suffolk County, and administration of the response to New York City with some direct supervision within the hot zone.

He received several awards relating to his participation during the events that followed the terrorist attack from the Commissioner of Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services, the Sheriff's Office World Trade Center Disaster Award, TWA Flight 800 Disaster Award, and the Sheriff's Office professionalization award.

Over the past 27 years in the sheriff's department his duties have included: municipal budgeting; management and administration; the filing of numerous successful corrections related grant applications; and the filing of Federal Emergency Management claims following events ranging from snow and ice storms to the response to the terrorist attacks of September 11.

One of his current projects is the implementation of a video conferencing system to link the courts with the correctional facilities. The Probation Department and the New York State Parole Board will use this system as a more efficient and safer method of communicating between the inmates from the jails to the courthouses. The daily movement of 30 to 40 inmates, 40 miles to court will be eliminated.

During his career in the sheriff's department his duties have been varied, and have included conducting a wide variety of meetings and conferences, which include instructing police recruits in civil law enforcement and presiding over multi-agency seminars to disaster related briefings.

He also oversaw the final development and installation of a new case handling and financial management computer system, and the data conversion process from the old system to the new system.

LeGrand is eligible to retire from his current position and is ready to make a permanent move to Maine. He is 50 years old, married, with three children, ages 25, 22, and 15.

He has ties to Maine, after coming here for the past 40 years. He bought a camp in Rome in 1995. His daughter, who is almost 16, is a sophomore ballet scholar at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield.

The Jail Authority is hoping that LeGrand will be able to complete the necessary testing and report to work by January 25. Interim Correctional Administrator Sheriff Mark Westrum is filling the position until LeGrand comes on board.