John McGinness decided to become a police officer when he was just eight years old, on the day his father was stopped for speeding. “I remember thinking, ‘Man, those guys are really cool,’” he says with a laugh. “They didn’t even give my dad a ticket!” McGinness later went on to a nearly three-decade-long career in law enforcement. He was elected sheriff in 2006 and looks back fondly on his years in the field. “There’s no such thing as a routine day,” he explains. “You have the opportunity to impact people’s lives during extraordinary situations.”
McGinness retired from the Sacramento County Sherriff’s Department in 2010 and currently teaches criminal justice, communications, leadership and professional studies courses at California State University, Sacramento; he can also be heard every day at 3 p.m. on his talk show for KFBK 93.1 FM. In his free time, he serves on the board of directors for the Sacramento-area chapter of Volunteers of America, an organization that helps people in need across the U.S. In addition, he’s an avid supporter of Cristo Rey, a Catholic high school that provides workstudy and college preparatory opportunities for children of limited means. As a father of two, McGinness is passionate about providing educational opportunities for area youth. “There’s a disparity between those who have an education and those who don’t,” he explains. “We can make a difference, and give kids the ability to succeed.”