People behind the scenes: Master Sergeant Gilbert Sainz

Master Sergeant Gilbert Sainz

 Tampa - By Steven L Donaldson

I'm often asked by those both curious and confused just how the Homeless Initiative ever got started. Well, I certainly didn't wake up one morning with an epiphany thinking I could save the world and all the homeless people in it.

In early 2010, the imagery of homelessness and its consequence of panhandling overflowed into the streets of Hillsborough county. It was a reflection of our communities that left not much more than despair for those witnessing these unkempt streets.

It seemed Town N' Country, a suburb fringed on the county's north west tract, suffered the biggest impact with those flying cardboard signs jockeying for position on every street corner.

Now, more than two years later, the time or place when Master Sergeant Gilbert Sainz delivered my new assignment still escapes me -- but, I remember his delivery like it was yesterday:

 "You know, we need to do something about these panhandlers."

I'm always hoodwinked by his benevolent and mesmerizing management style -- with the good grace of saying "we" -- he had hatched a plan I later realized translated to "me".  Before I picked up on what had just happened he was off to put out his next fire and the wheels were already in motion that would soon plant the seeds for the Homeless Initiative that we have today.

An undertaking as ambitious and  unconventional as the Homeless Initiative doesn't happen successfully without an almost Galactic alignment of the stars. And, it was going to take a mentoring influence like the Master Sergeant working behind the scenes for a lot of it to come together. Soon enough he was connecting me with the right people and the right resources from his years of seasoned experience and his extended social network. Then he patted me on the back -- got out of my way -- and said make it happen! 

Out of the box thinking doesn't come without a sometimes dicey game of risk and reward. And frankly, if you're not taking any risk your not thinking far enough out of the box. And with risk comes some missteps and hiccups -- I made a few. In each of these times of uncertainty the Master Sergeant  never left me abandoned but instead stood behind me and argued in my defense -- even at his own peril.  

Reflecting back over these months some dust has settled and perspective has come into focus. I learned leadership is more about humility and restraint than it is about authority, control or dominance. And, it is these learned lessons that gives virtue to the uniform.  

If I ever had to write a book about the Master Sergeant's engrained talent to lead and manage his troops I would surely plagiarize the title: What They Don't Teach You At Harvard Business School. Sometimes you just don't know what you don't know until someone like the Master Sergeant shows up to teach you.

Thank you Master Sergeant Gilbert Sainz -- the community, the department you serve, and the more than one-hundred recovered homeless owes you a debt of gratitude.

Deputy Steven Donaldson
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
Homeless Initiative
District III Office: (813) 247-033
Email: sdonalds@hcso.tamp.fl.us
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