In 1984, I graduated in the top 5% of my high school class and went on to earn a B.A. in Physics from Grinnell College in 1988—one of the top small liberal arts colleges in the country.  I’ll be the first to admit, studying physics was no easy road.  But I stuck with it and it taught me how to buckle down, roll up my sleeves, and do the work—something that’s defined how I approach every challenge since.

Even before graduating high school, I was managing the books for my family's small 180-acre cattle and horse farm, plus running a small electronics repair business.  Upon graduating college, I worked for 7 years as a systems and network administrator at Earlham College.

In 1995, I started as a Mounted Patrol Deputy for the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.  At the time, the Mounted Patrol and Reserve units were separate entities.  Over the years, I worked with the sheriff to combine those two units into the Uniformed Volunteer Services Unit, and was appointed by the sheriff as First Sergeant and supervisor of that unit.

In 1994, I partnered with Dr. Charles Peck and we started a technology consulting firm, working with both local businesses and larger firms, including a $1B diamond wholesaler in New York.  During this time, Dr. Peck and I also launched Wayne County's first internet service provider.  I also worked with Gary Carlson, a speculative investor from Minneapolis, who turned over the management of three tech service companies to me.  I brought those companies out of the red and made them profitable again, a success that allowed Gary to recover his investment.

In 2010 I joined the Wayne County IT Department as the Public Safety Technology Coordinator and Database Administrator, where I specialized in supporting the Sheriff’s Office and the 911 center.  Long before I was officially hired, I completed several IT projects for them centered around public safety, both as a paid consultant and as a volunteer.  I worked with local, state, and federal agencies to make the department more efficient and responsive to the public's needs.

In August of 2022, Sheriff Randy Retter asked me to step into the position of Chief Deputy.  Since then, I have continued to work tirelessly to increase department efficiency and address community concerns.

While I did not attend the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, I’ve always held the required certifications and exceeded the minimum training requirements.  I’ve averaged over 100 hours per year of ILETB-approved training, and I’ve consistently met the 24-hour annual minimum required by the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board.  This training includes not only law enforcement topics, but also supervision and leadership development.

In 2003 the department decided it needed a better system for tracking and reporting service hours to increase accountability for reserve officers.  From that time until I was appointed Chief Deputy in August of 2022, I volunteered nearly 10,000 hours of service as a WCSO Deputy.  During that time, I took what was largely a parade-only unit and transformed it into a professional component of the Sheriff’s Office—training with nationally recognized mounted patrol instructors and deploying the unit for community policing and targeted enforcement.  Under my supervision, we raised the standards for the Mounted Patrol and Reserve members, implemented strong ongoing training expectations, and established clear protocols for how they are used by the agency.

The three most recent sheriffs in Wayne County would have attended the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy around the same time I would have.  But the profession has evolved significantly—especially in investigative techniques, the use of technology, and most importantly, how we serve our communities.  What matters now is a commitment to continuous training that addresses the ever-changing landscape, sound judgment, and ethical leadership.

I believe deeply in the value of education.  I bring a strong mix of formal education, hands-on experience, leadership, and technical expertise.  I’m not afraid to put in the hours it takes to serve this county with integrity and professionalism.  I’ve built a career—and a reputation—by being someone who gets the job done and puts in the work, whether it’s in the field, behind a desk, or leading from the front.