Sheriff-elect Wayne Hannah will be sworn in as the 24th sheriff of Fayette County at a ceremony at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18 at the Fayette County Justice Center.

Hannah will succeed Sheriff Randall Johnson who has served for 32 years.

Though the swearing-in takes place well in advance of Hannah’s term beginning, there is nothing wrong with doing so, as long as Hannah doesn’t “assume the office” before Johnson’s term ends Dec. 31, according to a spokesperson for the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.

During his career Hannah has worked his way through the ranks of Sergeant, Lieutenant and eventually to Captain over the Uniform Patrol Division in 1983. In 1988, the Traffic Enforcement/Training Division was created and Hannah was assigned as the director of that division. He was promoted to Major in 1993 and then to his current rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2003. In addition to serving on numerous boards and committees, Hannah's accomplishments also include being the recipient of the J. Stannard Baker Award for outstanding achievements in highway safety. This award is the highest national level traffic safety award presented to an individual by the National Sheriff's Association along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Since being elected to office this past July, Hannah said his transition months have been focused on assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the Sheriff's Office to identify better ways to serve the community. “I am very grateful for the tremendous support and encouragement from our citizens and businesses, which has made the journey to this moment all the more memorable,” states Hannah. “I have always felt a sense of responsibility to FayetteCounty and I pledge to strengthen the Sheriff’s Office’s commitment to the safety and well-being of those we serve.”

A long-time resident of Fayette County, sheriff-elect Hannah and his wife Deborah live in the eastern part of FayetteCounty.

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