Sheriff Rambosk’s Academy Routes Dozens of Students into Dispatching Careers at CCSO

Luzceleste Herrera never imagined herself seated behind a bank of monitors, calmly directing emergency calls through moments of crisis, let alone leading a team of dispatchers. Growing up as a shy teenager in Immokalee and the daughter of migrant farmworkers, Herrera once had no clear vision for her future. But thanks to the Collier County Sheriff ’s Office’s innovative partnership with The Immokalee Foundation, she found more than a career—she discovered her calling.

Today Herrera, 26, is an assistant shift supervisor in the CCSO Communications Center, guiding and mentoring the next generation of emergency dispatchers.

“Luzceleste’s rise from one of just 11 students in the first class of my Public Safety Career Academy to an assistant shift supervisor in just a few years is truly remarkable,” said Sheriff Kevin Rambosk. “She’s a shining example of what a career in dispatching can lead to –and exactly what this terrific program is all about.”

Launched in 2021, the Public Safety Career Academy began as a six-week summer program to train high school students from The Immokalee Foundation to become certified 911 dispatchers and begin lasting careers with CCSO.

Sheriff Rambosk envisioned the academy as a way to meet a growing need for emergency telecommunicators while creating meaningful career opportunities for young people in Immokalee.

Since its inception, the program has led to the hiring of 27 students as CCSO dispatchers. It’s since expanded to five partner programs: The Immokalee Foundation, Lorenzo Walker Technical College, Lely High School, Immokalee Technical College (iTECH), and Immokalee High School. Law enforcement agencies from across Florida and beyond have taken note, sending representatives to Collier County to learn from its success.

The idea was sparked when CCSO Chief of Administration Greg Smith watched Noemi Y. Perez, president and CEO of The Immokalee Foundation, present the Foundation’s Career Pathways program at a Collier County Board of Commissioners meeting. The program’s mission: Helping students earn trade certifications and connect with long-term career opportunities, aligned with Sheriff Rambosk’s goals.

Soon after, CCSO Communications Captain Chris Gonzalez and Communications Manager Amy Tuff met with Perez to propose a new initiative: preparing students for Florida’s 911 certification process, which requires 232 hours of classroom and hands-on training.

“The goal wasn’t just certification—it was employment,” said Sheriff Rambosk. “We wanted these students to graduate and walk straight into a dispatching career at CCSO.”

That vision quickly became reality and would change the course of many young lives, including Herrera’s.

“Since its inception, the Public Safety Career Academy has provided Immokalee Foundation students with another exceptional postsecondary option,” said Perez. “The program continues to ensure that our students will have a positive influence on the lives of countless people in Southwest Florida for years to come, especially in their greatest time of need.”

Brooke Sanchez, the CCSO Communications supervisor who leads the Academy, shares a lighthearted moment with students during the summer 2025 session. Student enrollment has more than quadrupled since the Academy’s inception in 2021.

Brooke Sanchez, a CCSO Communications supervisor who benefitted from a similar program when she was in high school, was brought in to lead the academy. Sanchez said the academy has expanded rapidly. Forty students graduated from the course held over the summer — a big leap from the inaugural class of 11. Students from Lee, Charlotte, and Hendry counties have also reached out, drawn by the fact that CCSO offers the training free of charge

For Herrera, the academy arrived at the right time. She was attending Florida Gulf Coast University and still unsure about her future when she learned about the academy through The Immokalee Foundation.

“I just knew I wanted a career where I could help people,” she said. Four years later, Herrera sits at a dispatch console surrounded by glowing monitors, computers and state-of-the-art technology. As an assistant shift supervisor, she now trains and leads others, just as she was once mentored.

Herrera’s journey is more than a personal success. It’s a testament to Sheriff Rambosk’s vision for the Public Safety Career Academy and the partnership with The Immokalee Foundation.

“The critical thinking and communication skills obtained through the Public Safety Career Academy pave the way for a future college education or additional training within the criminal justice industry, providing even more potential for future earnings,” Perez observed. “Most people will never know what it feels like to save another person’s life; however, thanks to the Public Safety Career Academy, several Immokalee Foundation alumni have had that life-altering experience.”