Location: Sheriff's Headquarters, 833 S. Akers St., Visalia
Incident Date: 9/24/18
Incident Time: 1000 hours
City: Visalia
Posted by: Media Relations
You are invited to a formal promotion ceremony Monday morning at Sheriff’s Headquarters when Sheriff Mike Boudreaux will promote the following personnel:
Captain Mark Gist
Lieutenant Chad Rhyman
Sergeant John Nicholson
Sergeant Oladapo Popoola
Who: Sheriff Mike Boudreaux
What: Promotional Ceremony
When: 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 24, 2018
Where: Sheriff's HQ, 833 S. Akers St., enter building on the north side
Info: Teresa Douglass, PIO, 559-802-9412
Sheriff Boudreaux offers his sincere congratulations to Cpt. Gist, Lt. Rhyman, Sgt. Nicholson and Sgt. Popoola and wishes them well in their new assignments.
Cpt. Mark Gist is a long-time resident of Tulare County and grew up working on the family farm in Tulare. He graduated from Tulare Union High School and attended College of the Sequoias while working for UPS and local feed businesses.
In 1990, he decided to change careers and attended the Tulare-Kings Counties Basic Police Academy. After graduation, he worked as a Reserve Officer for the Visalia Police Department working patrol and some special assignments.
Cpt. Gist was hired by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office in 1996 as a Deputy Sheriff and was assigned to Headquarters Patrol. Two years later, he transferred to the Sheriff’s Tactical Enforcement Personnel (STEP) Unit with the ancillary assignment of SWAT. He also worked on the Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Unit/Narcotic Task Force.
In 2005, Cpt. Gist was promoted to Sergeant and was assigned to the Bob Wiley Detention Facility and, later, the Adult Pre-Trial Facility as the Administrative Sergeant.
He transferred to Headquarters Patrol in 2007 and, shortly thereafter, returned to the Narcotics Task Force. He later served on the Gang Violence Suppression Unit and the Property Crimes Unit.
In 2013, Cpt. Gist was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He served as Night Watch Commander, and later transferred to Gang Violence Suppression, Crimes Against Persons, Pixley Patrol with oversight of the Sheriff’s Junior Explorer Youth Development Program, Property Crimes, Domestic Violence, Agricultural Crimes and Personnel and Training.
Cpt. Gist now oversees Patrol.
He lives in Visalia with his wife of 28 years, Shelly. They have three children. He enjoys spending time with his family and participating in outdoor activities such as hiking and golfing. He is a member of the Ivanhoe Lions Club.
Lt. Chad Rhyman was born and raised in Tulare. He graduated from Tulare Union High School and attended both College of the Sequoias and Porterville College.
In 1993, he joined the U.S. Navy and served two years aboard the USS Kinkaid. Afterward, he served six years in the Naval Reserve, assigned to the 406th Construction Battalion Support Unit 2. After the tragedies of 9-11, he was reassigned to the U.S. Navy’s Physical Security Unit.
Lt. Rhyman graduated from the Tulare-Kings Counties Basic Police Academy in 1999 and was hired by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy Sheriff, assigned to the Tulare County Correctional Center, also known as Road Camp.
In 2002, he transferred to Headquarters Patrol and the next year, he was assigned as a Community Based Officer for the community of Goshen.
Lt. Rhyman became a detective for the Agricultural Crimes Investigation Unit in 2005 and served as the case agent for Operation Metal Fury. In 2008, he transferred to the Sheriff’s Tactical Enforcement Personnel Unit and participated in Operation LOCCUST, one of the largest multi-agency details the Sheriff’s Office had coordinated, and multiple STEP and SWAT operations.
In 2010, he transferred to the Sheriff’s Office Narcotic Task Force. As an undercover deputy, he began purchasing methamphetamine from a store owner in Plainview. This case was later prosecuted in Federal Court.
During this time, Lt. Rhyman served on the Sheriff’s Sniper Team.
In 2011, he was assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Fresno Group 2 F.A.S.T. Federal Narcotics Task Force as the first federally deputized agent. While assigned to the DEA, he participated in operations TRIDENT, MERCURY, GREEN SENTINEL and SYNERGY. He adopted numerous state and federal asset forfeiture cases and assisted in airport interdiction missions. He became both a state and federal court expert for methamphetamine sales.
Lt. Rhyman was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2014 and was assigned to the Orosi Substation.
In 2016, he transferred to the Agricultural Crimes Investigation Unit. He and his detectives introduced SmartWater CSI to the agricultural community. Lt. Rhyman gave many presentations throughout the county and state, and he was a guest speaker at the 2018 AG SAFE Conference in Monterey.
Now, he's assigned to Night Watch.
Lt. Rhyman is a second generation law enforcement officer. His late father, Dennis Rhyman, had a 30-year career with both the Tulare and Visalia police departments. His uncle, the former Sgt. Ed Rhyman, still works for the Sheriff’s Office doing background checks. A cousin, Shelby Skrinde, is the Sheriff’s Emergency Dispatcher Supervisor.
Lt. Rhyman is married to his high school sweetheart, Devin, and they have two children. He enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf and coaching his son’s baseball team.
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Sgt. John Nicholson was born in Pocatello, Idaho and moved to Visalia with his family in 1990. He graduated from Golden West High School and he attended the Tulare-Kings Counties Basic Police Academy.
He was hired by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office in 2007 and was assigned to Patrol at the Porterville Substation. Three years later, he became a Community Based Officer for East Porterville where he also worked special details, including gang and narcotics investigations.
In 2013, Sgt. Nicholson was assigned as the South County Administrative Community Based Officer. He was also elected as president of the Sheriff’s PAL Program, now called the Sheriff’s Junior Explorer Youth Development Program.
He was named Deputy of the Year in 2015 by the Porterville Exchange Club for the work he did as a Community Based Officer and for helping children in underprivileged areas of the county.
Also in 2015, Sgt. Nicholson transferred to the Agricultural Crimes Investigation Unit where he worked alongside a group of detectives who spearheaded and solved several high-profile investigations. His work with the Ag Unit brought to light new innovation investigation techniques and ideas, such as SmartWater CSI, that have been mimicked by departments across the state.
Now, he's assigned to the Visalia Substation.
Sgt. Nicholson lives in Exeter with his wife, Beatriz. They have five daughters, two of whom are in college. He enjoys traveling with his family and attending his daughters’ sporting events.
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Sgt. Oladapo Popoola lives in Tulare with his wife, Monica, and their two sons. He was born in Queens, New York, and grew up in Sacramento. He earned a bachelor’s degree in both Business Administration and Anthropology from Humboldt State University.
In 2007, he moved to Tulare with his family.
He graduated from the Tulare-Kings Counties Basic Police Academy in 2010 and received the Leadership Award. After graduating from the police academy, Sgt. Popoola was hired by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and was assigned to Patrol at the Porterville Substation.
In 2016, he transferred to the South End Gang Violence Suppression Unit and SWAT.
Sgt. Popoola was assigned to the Tulare Area Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team in 2017. As a member of the TAGNET/SWAT Team, he became a Chemical Agent Instructor and Active Shooter Instructor for the Sheriff’s Office.
Now, he's assigned to Pixley Substation.
He has a passion for sports, including soccer, football and baseball. Sgt. Popoola enjoys going to his children’s sporting events and extracurricular activities.