Mark Inglett, Retired Houston County Sheriff

I am writing to express my support for John Hazelton in the upcoming election for Winona County Sheriff. Although we worked for different law enforcement agencies, I have worked with, and had the opportunity to observe John, many times over the years. I have witnessed his integrity, his commitment to public safety, and his well centered belief in doing the job right. John has always demonstrated qualities that are necessary to lead the Office of Sheriff such as: honesty, fairness, commitment, and ethical conduct. I served as Sheriff for eight years in a neighboring county and know that without the public’s trust, the Sheriff’s Office will be inefficient in every way possible. I would not endorse a candidate if I did not believe their moral compass, ethics, and fairness would build and uphold your trust.

John will bring many years of experience to the Sheriff’s Office as well as the citizens of Winona County, in multiple areas of law enforcement. He will bring leadership qualities I have observed. He will bring respect for others and approach situations with impartiality. All qualities that are particularly important to the Sheriff’s position. John has the respect of his peers because of the qualities and character he has.

Because of the characteristics I have outlined above, I am confident John will serve with integrity and uphold the highest standards of professionalism as your Sheriff. Please consider joining me in supporting John Hazelton for Winona County Sheriff.

I am writing to offer my strong and sincere recommendation for John Hazelton as a candidate for Sheriff. I first came to know John through his work conducting ALICE Training at our school during my years as an educator, and over time our professional relationship grew into a lasting friendship built on trust, honor, and mutual respect.

In his work with our school, John consistently conducted himself with the highest level of professionalism. He addressed an inherently difficult and sensitive topic with clarity, empathy, and confidence, interfacing with staff in a meaningful and relatable way. Staff made up of a myriad of backgrounds, abilities, faith, or affiliation to say the least.  John’s ability to connect on a personal level, listen to concerns, and present critical information in an approachable manner, spoke volumes about both his communication skills and his character.  In essence, the topic of violent intruders in schools is emotional, can be scary, and at times uncomfortable to fathom.  His ability to educate and train civilians to; ALERT, LOCKDOWN, INFORM, COUNTER, and EVACUATE was masterful.

John represents law enforcement with unmistakable pride and proven capability. He understands the responsibility that comes with the badge and carries it with humility, discipline, and respect for the communities he serves. Often sharing with me that he seeks to educate and reinforce positive behaviors with the communities he protects.  His commitment to any task he undertakes is unwavering, and he follows through with focus and integrity. 

It is this gold-standard decision-making process and demeanor that I believe led to his choice of Chief Deputy, Paul McKay.  Coming from a highly respected family in the community, I first met Paul as a student in my class.  I quickly learned that the family values, ethics, and traits that the McKay family was known for, had been instilled in Paul.  I’ve had the privilege of knowing the McKay family for many years.  My family will benefit from Paul’s respected, commonsensical, honorable, and driven passion to further his LE career as John’s right-hand man.  He will be an epic steward of the Sheriff’s values, mission, and strategic direction.

Based on my experience with John Hazelton, I am confident that he possesses the judgment, professionalism, and dedication required to serve as an outstanding Sheriff. Evidenced as well, as those he wants around him.  I recommend him without reservation and believe he would serve our community with honor, effectiveness, and respect.

Chris Cichosz, Former Chief Deputy Winona County Sheriff Department

I am proud to offer my endorsement of John Hazelton for Sheriff.

I have known John for over 40 years and had the privilege of working alongside him at the Winona County Sheriff’s Office for 14 years. I have observed his commitment to public safety, integrity, and professionalism.

John has served the Winona County community for over 25 years as a deputy sheriff. During that time, he has held leadership roles in which he demonstrated the ability to manage complex operations and make thoughtful decisions under pressure. John has shown the ability to adapt to modern law enforcement expectations of transparency, collaboration with community partners, compassion, empathy, and, when needed, decisiveness.

John is a leader who displays both confidence and humility. He will listen, seek others’ input, and continue to build an office that is focused on trust and mutual respect. His experiences have prepared him to guide the Sheriff’s Office with a servant mindset, emphasizing professionalism, fiscal responsibility, and service of others.

Winona County needs a Sheriff who values partnerships, is committed to continuous improvement, actively listens to others, and cares for the safety of all Winona County residents. I believe John is that person.

I support John’s candidacy for Sheriff and encourage others to do the same.

My name is Steve Baumgart, and I retired from the Winona County Sheriff’s Department in 2005. I was very blessed to also serve on the Goodview City Council, and Mayor the last 4 years. I was asked by John Hazelton if I would write a letter in support of his candidacy. After some prayers and time I agreed to this request. I worked 4 years with John before I retired. During this period I had been on the Winona County SWAT Team about 10 years when John joined the team.  I found him to be a great leader and his passion for helping each member succeed. John was selected to be a team leader and the Commander of the team and has served for 15 years. What impressed me was his strong work ethic, and his leadership. I personally gained much more confidence as the result of his leadership while serving with the SWAT Team. I also felt much safer on patrol when John was my partner.

The relationship he has with his lovely wife and especially his three children is very moving. Both his parents are very well respected and his dad was a Vietnam Veteran, who retired from the US Army Corp of Engineers, and his mom who retired from Winona County Public Health.

It is important to mention John is a good listener, excellent social skills and I feel John would be an excellent Sheriff. It should be mentioned that Deputy Paul McKay would be selected as the Chief Deputy. I would be remiss if I did not say that the other candidate Charle Rolbiecki, is a good friend and I can’t say anything negative about Charle. I chose to support John Hazelton since I did work closely with John. As a Veteran, please vote. Like all other veterans this is why we served our country.