Copenhaver, Lenard M

Tenure Summary

Lenard M. Copenhaver is an active Georgia Department of Corrections employee whose salary records trace a steady climb from administrative and business-operations posts in 2015–2016 into the facility-leadership track. He served as a Correctional Assistant Superintendent across four consecutive salary years (2017–2020), a deputy-tier role, before moving into the superintendent ranks beginning in 2021. Records link him specifically to the Valdosta Transitional Center (facility 113), where he is listed as Superintendent from September 1, 2021 through December 31, 2022, with further Valdosta-linked superintendent entries dated November 22, 2023, salary year 2025, and a single-day record dated August 27, 2026. GDC salary records show his pay rising from $59,437.69 as a Correctional Superintendent in 2021 to $79,123.29 in 2025.

One death is attributed to his leadership tenure, and it occurred at the Valdosta Transitional Center — the only facility to which any death is attributed in these records. GPS's records list no lawsuits naming Copenhaver as a defendant, no intelligence reports or events dated within his facility tenures, and no news coverage naming him directly.

What happened on their watch

Valdosta Transitional Center — Superintendent, September 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022 (with additional Valdosta-linked superintendent records through 2026)

One death is attributed to Copenhaver's tenure at the Valdosta Transitional Center. Devante Jerry Daniels, 30, died on December 24, 2022, while Copenhaver held the Superintendent role at the facility, per GPS personnel records. The death record lists a cause category but no accompanying public narrative, so the available records do not describe the circumstances or manner of Daniels's death. No lawsuit, intelligence report, or news item in these records names Copenhaver or the Valdosta Transitional Center in connection with that death.

Beyond that single death, the records contain no intel reports or intel events dated inside Copenhaver's Valdosta tenure, and no news mentions naming him. The data therefore documents the fact of the death and his role on that date, and nothing further about conditions or incidents at the facility during his leadership.

Earlier deputy-tier service — Correctional Assistant Superintendent, 2017 through 2020

Copenhaver held the title Correctional Assistant Superintendent over four salary years, from 2017 through 2020, a facility-deputy accountability tier. The records do not name a facility for those years, and no deaths are attributed to that period. Because the records cover only the role and dates for this stretch, no incident, report, or event information for those years is available here — absence of such entries should not be read as evidence about conditions at any facility during that time.

Pre-leadership roles — 2015 through 2016

Before entering the custody-leadership track, Copenhaver worked as a Business Operation Specialist in 2015 (salary $38,023.91) and an Administrative Assistant Supervisor in 2016 (salary $37,637.84). No facility is named for either post, and no deaths are attributed to them.

Sources

• Georgia Department of Corrections personnel and salary records — position titles, accountability tiers, facilities, and annual salaries for Copenhaver, 2015–2026
• Georgia Department of Corrections / Valdosta Transitional Center death record — Devante Jerry Daniels, age 30, died December 24, 2022, during Copenhaver's Superintendent tenure
• Georgia Prisoners' Speak personnel file — Copenhaver, Lenard M (gps.press/intelligence/personnel/copenhaver-lenard-m/); no lawsuits, intel reports, intel events, or news mentions recorded

No litigation, DOJ findings, audit documents, or press coverage naming this individual were present in the records provided.

Synthesized by GPS Intelligence System on Sep 23, 2026 from positions, attributed deaths, lawsuits, intel reports, and news mentions in the public corpus. The supporting data tables follow below.