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Adopt and present a resolution and plaque of appreciation honoring Sheriff-Coroner Thomas A. Ferrara upon his retirement from the Sheriff’s Office with over 45 years of dedicated public service, including 40 years with Solano County and the last 12 years as the Solano County Sheriff-Coroner (Chair Mashburn)
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Sheriff’s Office recommends that the Board of Supervisors adopt and present a resolution and plaque of appreciation honoring Sheriff-Coroner Thomas A. Ferrara upon his retirement from the Sheriff’s Office with over 45 years of dedicated public service, including 40 years with Solano County and the last 12 years as the Solano County Sheriff-Coroner.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Thomas A. Ferrara began his law enforcement career in 1978 as a police cadet with the Rio Vista Police Department. In 1981, he put himself through San Joaquin Delta College’s first basic peace officer’s academy, after which he served as a reserve police officer with Rio Vista Police Department. In 1983, Thomas A. Ferrara joined the Isleton Police Department as a police officer.
Thomas A. Ferrara was hired as a Deputy-Sheriff with the Solano County Sheriff’s Office on December 13, 1984; promoted to Sergeant on October 8, 1995; promoted to Chief Deputy on February 7, 1999; promoted to Captain on July 7, 2002; appointed Undersheriff on December 31, 2006; and appointed Sheriff-Coroner by the Solano County Board of Supervisors on August 14, 2012. He was subsequently elected to the office of Sheriff-Coroner by the citizens of Solano County on June 3, 2014, and re-elected on June 5, 2018, and June 7, 2022.
Sheriff Ferrara holds an Associate of Science degree in Administration of Justice from San Joaquin Delta College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, Training, and Development from Southern Illinois University and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy’s 205th Session.
Sheriff Ferrara holds numerous certificates from the California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) including Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Supervisory, Management, and Executive certificates, as well as a certificate in Community Policing. He also completed the Kerr-Hill Management Training Course, the Quantum Leap Leadership Training Academy, and the Josephson School of Ethics where he was certified as an ethics instructor.
Throughout his career, Sheriff Ferrara worked, supervised, and managed a majority of the bureaus within the Sheriff’s Office, including Civil, Courts, Internal Affairs, Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) permitting, and Background Investigations. He also served in numerous special assignments, including as a Field Training Officer, Reserve Air Officer Liaison, member of the recruitment team, Fleet Liaison, and was the department’s first line-level Deputy-Sheriff to serve as a Public Information Officer.
As a Sergeant, Thomas A. Ferrara oversaw the merger of the Vallejo Marshal’s Office with the Sheriff’s Office, and as a Chief-Deputy and Captain, he commanded both the Field Operations and Custody Divisions.
During his tenure as Sheriff-Coroner, Thomas A. Ferrara relaunched the Resident Deputy Program to provide community-oriented policing in Solano County’s unincorporated areas and entered into a contract to provide law enforcement services to the City of Rio Vista.
Sheriff Ferrara established a Concealed Carry Weapons (CCW) program that became a model for sheriff’s offices and police departments statewide. Under his leadership, Solano County Sheriff’s Office instituted and hosts an annual statewide Carry Concealed Weapons (CCW) Conference, providing critical training on legislative updates, professional development from industry experts, and a forum for collaboration. Attendance increased each year, reaching more than 280 attendees from 97 different agencies in 2025. The CCW Conference has become a lasting model for training and coordination that will continue to benefit law enforcement and the communities they serve.
Sheriff Ferrara has overseen significant capital improvement projects for the Sheriff’s Office, including the construction of the Stanton Correctional Facility and Rourke Vocational Training Center at the County’s Claybank campus, Detention Facility Security Electronic Upgrades, Animal Care Shelter upgrades including construction of a new kennel building, and major infrastructure and cell upgrades at the Justice Center Detention Facility.
Sheriff Thomas A. Ferrara’s leadership skills have been consistently demonstrated throughout his career but have been most evident during times of crisis. His steady guidance in the County’s Emergency Operations Center have been vital during numerous natural disasters and emergencies, including the 2014 Napa Earthquake that caused significant structural damage and power outages within Solano County; several devastating wildfires, most notably the 2015 Wragg Fire, the 2017 Atlas Fire, and the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex Fire, which forced the evacuation of more than 5,000 residents, resulted in the destruction of over 300 homes, caused extensive property damage, and he led his office through an complex investigation of an arson set within the fire to conceal a homicide; repeated winter storms and flooding events; and the COVID-19 pandemic, which spanned over two years and required difficult operational and structural changes to protect public health while ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of essential County services; under his leadership, responders and the community received the critical resources and support they needed during their time of need.
Sheriff Ferrara has been an active member of the California State Sheriffs’ Association (CSSA), collaborating with state agencies and private organizations on critical public safety initiatives, and served in key leadership roles within the association including as a member of the CSSA Board of Directors, Chair of the California Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) Committee and the CCW (Carry Concealed Weapon) Policy Committee, and Vice-Chair of the Financial Managers Committee and Training Committee.
He has dedicated his entire adult life to serving his community as a law enforcement officer and public official. Through hard work, professionalism, and unyielding commitment, he has made a significant and lasting impact on public safety in Solano County, earning the respect and admiration of the Sheriff's Office, County staff, local, State, and federal agencies, and the community he served.
The resolution honors Sheriff-Coroner Thomas A. Ferrara his over 45 years of dedicated public service, including 40 with Solano County and the last 12 years as the Solano County Sheriff-Coroner and wishes him a long, healthy, and happy retirement. Sheriff Ferrara’s official last date of employment with the Sheriff’s Office will be September 25, 2025.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The cost associated with preparing the agenda item is nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2025/26 Adopted Budget. The costs associated with the preparation and purchase of the resolution materials and plaque are included in the Board’s FY2025/26 Adopted Budget.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may elect not to adopt a resolution and plaque of appreciation; however, this is not recommended, as this is an opportunity to honor Sheriff-Coroner Thomas A. Ferrara upon his years of public service to the Sheriff’s Office and the citizens of Solano County.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The County Administrative Office ordered the plaque and finalized the Resolution for Board presentation.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION