.png)
QUALIFICATIONS
EDUCATION
Associate Degree Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science Degree, Masters of Public Administration, Masters of Arts in Practical Theology/Ministry, and a Doctor of Philosophy of Christian Counseling
LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERIENCE
Countryman has 30 years of law enforcement experience with 16 years of them serving as Muscogee County Marshal and 3 years as Sheriff of Muscogee County. He is a graduate of the Georgia Regional Command College, Class # 26. He also attended F.B.I. (L.E.E.D.S) training. Served as an Assistant Adjunct Professor with Georgia Military College for seven years. Additional experience includes working with the Columbus Housing Authority Police Department. There he was assigned to their Drug Vice Task Force, helping reduce drug related crimes in public housing by 50% in the first year. While serving with the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, he had the privilege of working in the Jail Division, Court Services, Field Service Division, as well as being assigned to the Fugitive Division. This coupled with his 4 terms as Marshal has helped him to better prepare for the Office of the Sheriff.
ADMINISTRATION EXPERIENCE
His last 16 years serving the citizens as Muscogee County Marshal has provided Countryman with a wide range of knowledge as well as the opportunity to hone law enforcement skills. It has afforded him an understanding of the complexities and the awesome responsibilities of successfully holding and managing a city-wide elected office.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Marshal Gregory Countryman has brought respect and integrity to the Office of the Marshal. Under Countryman’s he led the Muscogee County Marshal’s Office to receive ranking by the International Association Chiefs of Police in 2008 as being ranked 2nd in the Nation. In 2009, he led the Marshal’s Office in being ranked 1st in the Nation. The Marshal’s Office had 14 deputies at the time to beat out a state law enforcement agency with 620 sworn officers. The odds were greatly against the Marshal’s Office, but their hard work paid off.
​
As Sheriff, Greg Countryman has successfully handled the merging of the Marshal’s Office with the Sheriff’s Office, maintained a jail at its capacity, improved employee morale, all while restoring the public’s trust in the Office of the Sheriff. The Sheriff’s crime suppression efforts have helped to reduce the Murder/Homicide rates by 40% in 2022. Sheriff Greg Countryman has led the fight in confronting the gang community. Under his leadership, in two years, the Sheriff’s Office has seized nearly 500 guns from the hands of members of gangs and convicted felons. They also removed over $3,150,000.00 worth of drugs out the hands of criminal enterprises. In fact, the Sheriff’s Office seized more than 380,000 doses of Fentanyl last year. The Sheriff stated, “this was enough Fentanyl to kill every Citizen in Columbus.” We need a Sheriff like Greg Countryman to remain in office to get the job done for our community. He is highly respected by fellow Sheriffs across the state of Georgia.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
He is the president and founder of the Georgia Marshal Training Network. Under his leadership and vision Countryman and other Marshal’s worked to implement a network of resources and training for all Marshals across the state. He also implemented the Junior Marshal Program for middle school students in the community. The Junior Marshal Program emphasizes citizenship, leadership, education, fun, and teamwork. It’s the only program in the city with a 100% rate in helping to improve the lives of middle school students. Marshal Gregory Countryman believes in early intervention to prepare our leaders of tomorrow. Since its inception in 2005, the program has worked with nearly 2,000 middle school students. None of the students assigned with the Junior Marshal program have experience: teen violence, gang activity, drug involvement, teen pregnancy, or truancy.
​
Marshal Countryman and a few of his deputies personally work to help change the lives of some of the young men at MLK Elementary School and Baker Middle School. Countryman has done all these things with limited funding and resources. As sheriff, he will maximize the current resources to do greater project on a larger scale.
RECOGNITIONS AND HONORS
He was selected as the 2006 Men’s Progressive Club Man of the Year. Countryman was the recipient of the 2008, 2012, and 2018 Courier Community Service Award. He was nominated as the 2013 Georgia Marshal of the year and received the 2014 National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executive Leadership Award. He also was nominated for the Outstanding Leadership Award from the National Constables and Marshals Association in 2017. In 2019, he was awarded with the Who’s Who Award with the Courier Eco Latino News Paper. In 2021, he was awarded the Whitney M. Young Service Award from the Boy Scouts of America.