James Conroy is currently the Chief of Police for the City of Roswell. He was selected for this position following a nationwide search and began serving the City of Roswell on July 29, 2019.
Before joining the Roswell Police Department, Chief Conroy grew up in DeKalb County, and served the DeKalb County Police Department retiring in 2019 with 30 years of service. He worked his way through all ranks and divisions and served as the DeKalb County Chief of Police for the last five and one half years. Under his leadership, DeKalb County experienced a significant reduction in overall crime and he led efforts to increase public trust and overall transparency of the department by implementing body worn cameras and enhancing public access to crime data.
Chief Conroy is happily married for over 16 years to his wife Ginger. They have two girls, Reagan age 15 and Reese age 13. They keep him very busy with their competitive cheerleading and travelling.
Joe Pennino, Chief of Roswell Fire Department, was sworn in by former fire chiefs Ricky Spencer and Ricky Burnette in June 2019. Pennino has been with the Largo Fire Rescue in Florida for over 18 years, where he has served in nearly every capacity, from firefighter to interim fire chief. He has served since 2017 as Largo’s deputy fire chief, where he has overseen the department’s five operational divisions, helped the department improve its response times, conducted an organizational analysis, and served as the city’s incident commander for hurricanes Irma and Eta.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Pennino has a Doctorate in Public Administration from Valdosta State University and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. He is a knowledgeable professional in his field, serving as an adjunct instructor at Liberty University, teaching fire service leadership and Public Administration Ethics, Statesmanship and Governance.
“As the leader of this great department, I recognize the importance of transparency, trust and open communication and will always look out for the wellbeing of our personnel,” Pennino said. “Additionally, I will look for ways to promote an inclusive environment where all members have an avenue to contribute.”
Let's give a huge Roswell Rotary welcome to these leaders in our community on Thursday. See you there!