Kathy Rose began her career at the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office in 1991 as a corrections officer, rising up the ranks to become a corrections division lieutenant in 2005.
Kathy Rose began her career at the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office in 1991 as a corrections officer, rising up the ranks to become a corrections division lieutenant in 2005.
“I have been incredibly blessed to have spent my whole career at the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office working with such great people,” Rose said upon her retirement in June.
Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand said her leadership, integrity and commitment to the safety and well-being of the community left a lasting impact on everyone she worked with.
“The jail administrator is a very important job at the sheriff’s office. Most of the public does not even realize all that the jail administrator is responsible for and does,” the sheriff said. “It is a 24/7 assignment (overseeing daily operations) that Kathy was very good at. All of the corrections officers are very dedicated and hard-working, many times working with some very difficult people.”
Rose dedicated her career to inmates bettering themselves through numerous programs within the jail community. These included Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, an intensive outpatient program for drugs and alcohol led by Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers, mental health programming by Ravenwood Health, church services with Good News Jail and prison ministry chaplains, and a re-entry program in collaboration with Family Pride of Northeast Ohio to help individuals transition back into the community.
“Kathy was a natural leader who continued with her education to better herself,” Hildenbrand said. “Shortly after her promotion, we were preparing to move into the new (Geauga County) Safety Center. We knew that we needed someone who was well organized and knowledgeable about the functions of the jail. (Rose) knew what we needed and how to lead us into the new building, which she did very well. She continued to bring great ideas on how to better serve and rehabilitate the inmates that we were holding.”
Rose received the 2004 Geauga County Bar Association Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award, 2008 Correctional Administrator of the Year-Small Jail by American Jail Association Award and in 2021, the Corrections Division, which she led, received the Geauga County Bar Association Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award during COVID-19.
“The jail is its own community — a population of various ages with various medical and mental health issues dealing with their legal troubles and also trying to deal with their outside issues, such as family, sometimes family court/JFS (Job and Family Services) work, etc.,” Rose said. “It is a full community where incredible people work every day to help people and it is all behind closed doors.”
What is special about Geauga County is the working collaborations among agencies, she said.
“The way I could pick up the phone and call the court, public defender’s office, prosecutor’s office, pretty much any agency and get a question answered or willingness to work to solve a problem,” Rose said. “The fact that people genuinely care and want to help.
“A lot of the people we see in jail have made bad choices, or through a series of things, find themselves in jail,” she continued. “Some of the people we see are part of a generational issue — we have had their mother or father, uncles, brothers, etc. in jail and this is what they know. If we don’t try to do something to break the cycle, it will continue to go on and affect generations to come. We have to do all we can to try and help these people get back on the right track.”
Most inmates go right back into the community, Rose said.
“If we don’t help with getting these people the resources and things they need when they go back into our community, the person will find themselves right back in jail,” Rose said.
On June 17, Lt. Amanda Jonovich was promoted and sworn in as the newest lieutenant in the corrections division.
“Being the newest lieutenant feels a bit surreal,” Jonovich said. “I am excited for the challenge and I feel ready to lead the division into the future.”
Rose hired Jonovich in 2006 to work in corrections.
“Kathy had been in the role for so long, trying to fill those ‘shoes’ is a very daunting task,” Jonovich said. “Day by day, I am getting more confident in this role.”
Rose excelled under pressure, Jonovich said, adding the corrections division was the perfect match for her.
“You never know what each day will bring and you cannot shut down in times of stress and uncertainty,” Jonovich said. “Kathy was quick to jump in and help, no matter what the task. Kathy brought the jail from a small, out-of-date facility in the old building into the forefront of modern corrections. We have far more programming than most jails our size and that was due to Kathy’s continuous outreach to the community.
“To survive and thrive in this line of work for as long as Kathy did, you must believe in the good of humanity,” Jonovich added. “In corrections, you see people on their worst day. Kathy was determined to get programming in the jail to give people the tools to change the course of their lives. Kathy did not get discouraged by constant repeat offenders. She understood she could offer all the tools, but it was ultimately up to the person to want to change.”
Though officially retired, Rose continues to stay busy and productive, she said.
“Kathy has a large extended family and makes every effort to get to as many grandkid events as possible,” Jonovich said. “She also enjoys traveling and relaxing in her camper … and now she can finally do that without one of us calling her with questions. Now, it is my turn to pick up where she left off and continue to move the corrections division forward.”
