HOUSTON COUNTY: On behalf of the citizens of Houston County, the family and friends, and staff of Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza, we wish you a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
Donald Valenza moved to Dothan from New Orleans to play baseball at George C. Wallace Community College. He fell in love with Dothan – Houston County and stayed.
Serving the citizens of Houston County since 1979, Donald Valenza began working with Houston County Sheriff Department under then Houston County Sheriff A.B. Clark as a Corrections Deputy. It was not long before Donald Valenza’s work ethic was noticed by Sheriff A.B. Clark and Donald Valenza was promoted to a Patrol Deputy Sheriff.
Since 1979, Donald Valenza has worked patrol, narcotics investigation, criminal investigations, Commander of Criminal Investigations, Chief Deputy Sheriff and then was appointed Sheriff, in 2014, on the resignation of then Sheriff Andy Hughes. Now Sheriff Donald Valenza sought election as Sheriff when the office was up for re-election and has been overwhelmingly elected and re-elected each time. Donald Valenza was first appointed in August 2014 and has 10 years of service as Sheriff.
During Donald Valenza’s 10 years as Houston County Sheriff he served as President of the Alabama Sheriff Association. This association represents all 67 County Sheriff’s across Alabama.
Currently, Sheriff Donald Valenza has a passion to establish a Alabama Sheriff Boys and Girls Ranch in Houston County or surrounding counties. Former Houston County Sheriff A.B. Clark helped start the Alabama Sheriff Boys ad Girls Ranch when he served as Sheriff. This ranch is not for troubled youth, but youth removed from home situations that have terrible home situations. The ranch takes care of the boys and girls and provides stable home enviornment.
In 2025, Donald Valenza marked 46 years of continuous service with Houston County Sheriff Department. He has worked under Sheriff A.B. Clark, Sheriff Lamar Hadden, Sheriff Lamar Glover and Sheriff Andy Hughes.
During his many years in Criminal Investigation, Donald Valenza has worked most murders that fell under the jurisdiction of Houston County Sheriff Department. As Sheriff, Donald Valenza is an active working Sheriff. While he handles Administrative Duties, he responds with the SRT unit into dangerous scenes, and at times is in the field on routine patrol. Almost every day, in the early morning you will hear “3801 10-8” ( 3801 is his call number 10-8 is in service ) and lates at night you will hear 3801 is 10-7 ( 10-7 is out of service ). Then somehting will happen and you will hear, 3801 10-8 and off he goes to support the men and women in a dangerous situation or major crime that has taken place.
The Sheriff Department has an estimated 100 Deputies with about 70 in the Houston County Jail. As Sheriff he is responsible for the Houston County Jail that has a daily inmate count of app. 450 to 475.
Sheriff Valenza is seeking re-election in the elections of 2026. And RSN does not know of anyone currently strong enough to beat him.
