UPDATE: Levy County Commissioner Mike Joyner, 70, of Chiefland, FL, passes Aug. 4 after brief illness

Mike Joyner, of Chiefland, FL, a Levy County Commissioner, former law enforcement officer, farmer, and pillar of the community, died at age 70, August 4, during a brief hospitalization for an illness. Mr. Joyner, who is known to be a devout Christian, leaves behind his wife, Diane, and two children; son, "Scooter," and daughter, Jennifer.

He was born in Cairo, Georgia, graduated from Jefferson County High School in Monticello, Florida and obtained his law enforcement training at North Florida Junior College in Madison, Florida.

Joyner began a 32-year career in 1973 as a law enforcement officer in Jefferson County, Florida. He also served with law enforcement agencies in Levy, Citrus, Gadsden and Marion counties before retiring in 2005. During his law enforcement career, Mr. Joyner is credited with saving four lives during three separate incidents. In 1986, he led an 18-month undercover operation that led to 72 arrests. Seven times, he went undercover in prison, to gain information that helped solve several cold-case homicides.

Mr. Joyner, a Republican, was appointment to the Levy County Board of County Commissioners, by former Florida Governor Rick Scott in 2010, to fill the District 1 Levy County Commission seat vacated when then-Commissioner Chad Johnson won election to the District 2 seat. Since that time, Joyner has been reelected without opposition, most recently to District 3. Mr. Joyner's 2021 public service appointments include Levy County Commission Vice-Chairman, Levy County Agent Advisory Board, Levy County Jail Diversion Planning Committee, Canvassing Board Alternate and Value Adjustment Board.