Deputy Chief Henderson named Middle Tennessee Jail Administrator of the Year

Rutherford County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Kevin Henderson was named “Middle Tennessee Jail Administrator of the Year” Thursday by the Tennessee Corrections Institute.

TCI Executive Director William Wall presented Henderson with the award during the TCI annual training conference.

Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said Henderson’s achievement was a well-deserved award for the outstanding work he has done.

“He brings a world of experience he can apply to our organization,” Fitzhugh said.

Henderson became the deputy chief of the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center in November 2021 after a 30-year career with the Shelby County Division of Corrections and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

He credited his employees.

“It’s our award,” Henderson said. “They bought in to what I was saying and I think that’s changed the culture here. I had the ideas. They had the execution.”

He believes he and his supervisors can go into a “bad jail” and fix it.

In his nomination, Sheriff’s Training Lt. David Hutsell said Henderson educated the command staff across multiple divisions of the unique operational demands of corrections.

“Drawing from his experience in a large county correctional system, he has openly shared both successes and hard-earned lessons, strengthening interdivisional understanding and collaboration,” Hutsell said.

Henderson is committed to ensuring the deputies are well-trained, confident and supported in an environment where morale grows. Henderson fostered a culture of accountability, professionalism and mutual respect.

“He places a strong emphasis on developing supervisors as servant leaders, leaders who are committed to continuous learning, professional growth and building trust with staff, residents and the community they serve,” Hutsell said.