Before joining Woolsey Morcom in 2023 as its Director of Investigations, Sheriff Shoar began his law enforcement career as a police officer with the St. Augustine Police Department in 1981. He served as a uniformed patrol officer for ten years until his promotion to Sergeant in 1991. Sheriff Shoar served as a uniformed Patrol Sergeant through 1997. In 1997, he was promoted to Operations Commander overseeing the Patrol and Detective Divisions. In 1999, he was assigned as the Administrative Services Commander. He served in that capacity until May of 2000, when City Manager Bill Harriss appointed him Chief of Police.

Sheriff Shoar is a 1987 Honors graduate from St. Johns River Community College. He graduated with highest honors in 1996 from the University of North Florida, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. In 2001, he was awarded a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with highest honors from the University of North Florida.

Sheriff Shoar is a member of several academic honor societies including Phi Kappa Phi and the Golden Key National Honor Society. He has served as an adjunct professor at St. Johns River Community College and Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida.

In 2005, Sheriff Shoar was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Law degree from Flagler College. Also in 2005, Flagler College created the David B. Shoar Award for Academic Achievement to recognize the graduate of the Public Administration Baccalaureate Degree program who maintains the highest grade point average. Sheriff Shoar worked with Flagler College to create the Public Administration baccalaureate degree program for working professionals in 2003.

Sheriff Shoar retired from the St. Augustine Police Department in 2004 after being elected to serve as Sheriff of St. Johns County. After re-election in 2008 and 2012, Sheriff Shoar was elected to his fourth and final term as Sheriff in 2016. 

In 2014, Shoar was elected by his fellow Sheriffs to serve as President of the Florida Sheriffs Association. He has served on a variety of advisory boards including the University of North Florida’s Institute of Government and the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce. He has also served on the Board of Directors of EPIC Behavioral Healthcare in St. Johns County.

Sheriff Shoar was appointed by three successive Florida Governors (Crist, Scott, and DeSantis) to serve as one of nineteen commissioners on The Florida Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission (2010-2020).

Sheriff Shoar is married to the former Laura Giannotta. They are the parents of two children, Emily and Matthew. They live in the Crescent Beach area and belong to St. Anastasia Catholic Church in St. Augustine.