FERRIDAY — After 18 years as sheriff of Concordia Parish, Randy Maxwell took his sixth oath of office Tuesday night.

“This is just as exciting as the first time,” Maxwell said of being sworn in.

Being elected to public office is a big honor, Maxwell said.

“I feel very blessed and very fortunate to have sat in this chair for this long,” he said.

One the main reasons Maxwell feels so fortunate is the difference he gets to make in the lives of people and the community, he said.

“There’s very few occupations where you can do that.”

The need to help the community is something he also stressed to his staff in his speech.

“If the parish is ever going to change, ever going to move forward, it will be because of the people in this room,” he said. “Not because of the people on the corners, not because of the naysayers.”

He also stressed the importance of his family during his many election campaigns and years in office, especially his wife Roselinda.

“I would like to thank my partner in life, my wife who stood by me, who’s knocked on every door, fought every dog off and ignored every rumor.”

Maxwell also thanked employees who have worked with him for a long time. One of those was Ralph Hill who has been with the Concordia Parish Sheriffs Department since 1973.

“Ralph remembers me when I had all my hair and it was black and I remember him when he had all his hair,” Maxwell said.

Hill also expressed his appreciation for the work Maxwell has done over the years.

“He’s been a real good sheriff,” Hill said. “One of the best as far as I’m concerned.”