From farm owner to law enforcement, Jordan Blaylock prepares to serve Grays Harbor

Years of business ownership, customer service and community involvement gave the Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office recruit a foundation for his new public service role.

Jordan Blaylock did not arrive at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission straight from school. Before joining the Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office, he was a contractor, small-business owner, farmer, husband and father. Each role required him to work with people, solve problems and take responsibility for decisions.

Building roots in Grays Harbor

Blaylock grew up in Thurston County and spent 12 years in Olympia with his wife and their two children. In 2019, the family moved to an old farm near Montesano and later built Lavender & Fir Roadside Market. What began with eggs and flowers at the mailbox grew into a place where residents visited the gardens and attended small community events.

Through the farm, school activities, youth sports and the county fair, the Blaylocks came to know more of their neighbors. Those relationships gave Blaylock a close view of the community he was preparing to serve through the Sheriff's Office.

Turning community ties into public service

Blaylock met local law enforcement professionals through everyday conversations at the market and around the county. Those interactions brought back an interest he had carried for years.

"I always thought at one point in life, if it had been different, I probably would have become law enforcement," he said.

He began looking at the experience he already had and how it could transfer to the job. Running a general contracting business had required leadership and accountability. Operating the farm demanded long hours and consistent work. Serving customers taught him to listen, communicate clearly and work through problems.

For Blaylock, law enforcement offered a way to use those skills on behalf of the county that had welcomed his family. When the Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office was hiring, he applied. After he was hired, his next step was the Basic Law Enforcement Academy.

WSCJTC's 720-hour Basic Law Enforcement Academy prepares recruits hired by law enforcement agencies across Washington. For Blaylock, the academy adds legal knowledge, communication and de-escalation, patrol skills, crisis response, defensive tactics, vehicle operations and scenario-based decision-making to the experience he brought from his previous work.

Throughout BLEA, recruits practice applying policy, law and sound judgment in situations they may face on patrol. The training prepares them to make decisions under pressure while treating people with dignity and respect.

The WSCJTC academy is accredited by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training. In 2026, IADLEST also certified WSCJTC's BLEA curriculum through its National Certification Program. Washington became the first state to earn that certification for a basic law enforcement academy curriculum.

Blaylock said the academy experience has helped him build skills with support from his classmates and training officers, known as TACs.

"Our class seems to be real bright, and everyone gets along well," he said. "All the TACs seem to be super knowledgeable and know what they are teaching, and they have a lot of patience with us. If we don't know something, it's easy to go up to them and ask and get the advice that we need to progress more and build on what we're learning."

Returning to serve Grays Harbor

After the academy, Blaylock will return to the same county where his family built its business, raised children and formed lasting relationships. His new role carries different authority and responsibilities, but his reason for making the change remains centered on service.