JASPER COUNTY, Texas — Jasper County Sheriff-Elect Chuck Havard named a new Jasper County jail administrator and assistant jail administrator.
Havard announced his intention to appoint Kenny Widner as jail administrator and Joe Pomponio as assistant jail administrator for the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office on January 1st, 2025.
Kenny Widner, of Jasper, is a 43-year law enforcement veteran. He began his career at the Jasper County Sheriff's Office in 1981. He joined the Baytown Police Department in 1984.
Widner was promoted to detective in February 1992. He retired from Baytown Police Department in July 2009 after 25 years of service. He was sworn in as Chief of Police for the Barbers Hill Indpendent School District and retired from Barbers Hill ISD in June 2021 with 12 years of service.
After retirement he moved back to Jasper and became a Jasper County Sheriff’s Office Deputy, where he currently serves.
Joe Pomponio started his career in corrections as a jailer with Texas Department of Criminal Justice in October of 1993.
He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2001 and retired in Nov 2021. Pomponio re-entered the corrections field when he started with Jasper County Sheriff's Office as a jailer until January 2024, when he was promoted to his current position as assistant jail administrator.
“I am looking forward to working with these two men, as they and the jail staff are vitally important to the operations of Jasper County Sheriff's Office. It is my intent to make the Jasper County Jail one of the cleanest, safest and most efficient jails in the State of Texas. One of my primary duties will be operating a professionally run jail in compliance with Texas law and rules of the Jail Commission," Havard said.
