Executive Board Members

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Sergeant Jonathan Gates was born and raised in Amarillo and is a first-generation law enforcement officer.  Sgt. Gates attended West Texas A&M University, Amarillo College, and Texas Tech University.  He has served with the Potter County Sheriff's Office since 2014 and is currently the lead criminal investigator for the agency.  In 2022, he was a founding member of the Potter County Law Enforcement Association.  

Sgt. Gates leads the PCSO Crisis Negotiations Team and is the coordinator for the agency's Crisis Intervention Team.  He is a certified instructor in Crisis Intervention Training, Crisis Negotiations, Firearms, and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST).  He regularly instructs academy recruits, corrections officers, and peace officers in these disciplines.  He married the love of his life in 2020 and is a proud father to six children - three sons and three daughters.  In his personal time, he coaches youth baseball, enjoys trivia and board games, and values spending quality time with his family.   

  Timothy McIntosh is a U.S. Army veteran and dedicated law enforcement professional with over a decade of public service. He began his career in 2014 with the Potter County Sheriff's Office in the Corrections Division, later serving as a peace officer with the Panhandle Police Department from 2016 to 2018. In 2018, he returned to Potter County, where he continues to serve as a peace officer. His assignments have included the Corrections and Patrol Divisions as a Field Training Officer, the Special Operations Division, and the Sheriff's Response Team. Timothy also serves as a supplemental instructor at the Panhandle Regional Training Academy, where he primarily teaches defensive tactics and firearms. He holds an Advanced Jailer License and an Advanced Peace Officer License.

Sergeant Jacob Powell began working for the Potter County Sheriff's Office in 2014 after graduating from West Texas A&M University with a BS in Criminal Justice.  He has previously been assigned to the Corrections and Patrol Divisions, where he served as a Field Training Officer, and currently supervises the PCSO Crime Scene Unit.  Sgt. Powell holds TCOLE Master Peace Officer and Master Jailer Proficiency Certificates and is a TCOLE-certified Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) and Taser 10 Instructor.  Additionally, he is a Certified Crime Scene Investigator through the International Association for Identification.

Sgt. Powell is a Supplemental Instructor for the Panhandle Regional Law Enforcement Academy, instructing peace officers from across the region.  He is also a system administrator for PCSO records/jail management software, Axon Evidence, and body-worn camera/fleet video systems.  In 2022, he was a founding member of the Potter County Law Enforcement Association with a desire to represent coworkers and their interests.  

Sergeant Wade McLaughlin moved to Amarillo in 1994 and began working for the Potter County Sheriff's Office in 1999.  With over 25 years in corrections, he brings a wealth of experience and earned respect to the Executive Board.  Wade is currently assigned as the day shift supervisor, holding his TCOLE Master Jailer Proficiency Certificate.  He is a Designated Immigration Officer with ICE and a former member of the Hostage Negotiation Team.