Major Jay Fondren commands the Administrative Division and Jail Division at the Shelby County Sheriff's Office. Major Fondren’s law enforcement career began in 1996 with the Leeds Police Department where he served in numerous roles including field training officer, detective, and crime scene investigator before being promoted to the rank of Sergeant. In 2004, he graduated from the 218th Session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and now serves as the President of the FBI National Academy Associates Alabama Chapter. In 2006, he joined the Pelham Police Department and served in the patrol division until 2007. He was hired as the Director of Gameday Operations for University of Alabama football and men’s basketball events by the Bruno Event Team, a sports marketing and operations business in Birmingham, Alabama.
Fondren joined the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office in January, 2008, as a Deputy Sheriff. He served as a patrol deputy, a criminal investigator, and a member of the Multi-jurisdictional Crisis Negotiations Unit. He was appointed Division Commander of the Jail Division in August, 2011. During his tenure in the Jail Division, he earned his Certified Jail Manager (CJM) certification through the American Jail Association. Under his command, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office became the first jail in Alabama to undergo and successfully meet accreditation requirements through the National Institute for Jail Operators (NIJO). In July 2018, Fondren was transferred to the role of Administrative Division Commander, where he has served since. Fondren currently serves on the Board for Shelby County’s Developing Alabama’s Youth (DAY) Program.
Fondren graduated from Curry High School in 1989 and soon after enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. After serving in the active duty Air Force, he served in the Mississippi Air National Guard and the Alabama Air National Guard. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Alabama in Birmingham in 1996 and his Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Troy University in the spring of 2012.