Jim Kaelin

Jim Kaelin

 Jim Kaelin

“Without my degree from DMC I have no idea where I would be today…it enabled me to run for and win an election as the Sheriff of Nueces County.”

Meet Jim Kaelin, Class of '72

I came home from Vietnam without a marketable skill. I had a family to support, and I desperately needed job stability. I really wanted to go into law enforcement, but entry level opportunities were so limited and the work was not steady.

I decided to enroll in DMC’s Police Science program using my GI Bill benefits, and I graduated with an AAS in that field. It was the best decision I could have made. That degree lead to employment by the Texas Department of Public Safety where I served for 29 years.

Because of my education obtained at Del Mar College it was possible for me to run and win an election as the Sheriff of Nueces County. Thanks to Del Mar College, I gained the knowledge I needed to be successful in life.

Jim Kaelin's sheriff's boot.

Sheriff Jim Kaelin


Page last updated June 12, 2023.