I have dedicated over half of my life to serving and protecting the Will County community as a police officer with the Will County Sheriff’s Office. Born and raised in Will County, my commitment to law enforcement and public service is deeply rooted in my family. My passion for public service started at a young age for me. My father was an auxiliary deputy with the Will County Sheriff’s Office and a firefighter/paramedic with the Homer Township Fire Department, achieving the rank of assistant chief. My mother was an emergency room nurse working at Silver Cross Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital.

I spent much of my childhood growing up inside of a firehouse but was drawn to the field of law enforcement by stories of heroism I heard deputies tell. One of those deputies was former Will County Sheriff Brendan Ward, who is a mentor to me. I believe being a police officer, especially those that serve in sheriff’s offices, to be the among the most honorable professions there are. Honor, professionalism, dedication, and service are just a few qualities that have driven me throughout my entire career.

I grew up in Homer Township and attended Lockport Township High School, graduating in 1993. I furthered my education at Joliet Junior College for two years before transferring to Western Illinois University (WIU). In 1997, I received my bachelor’s degree from WIU, majoring in law enforcement.

In July of 1999, I was hired as an enforcement deputy with the Will County Sheriff’s Office. My early years were spent working at the Will County Adult Detention Facility and later as an enforcement deputy in the Patrol Division, where I served diligently for over seven years in those capacities. In 2006, my dedication and self-initiated police activity led to me being assigned as a detective in the Criminal Investigations Division (CID). Initially, I was assigned to investigate all crimes occurring in the western portion of the county, and later became a specialist in animal abuse crimes. Several years later, I became a founding member of the Will County Sheriff’s Office High Tech Crimes Unit and a certified computer forensic analyst, showcasing my forward-thinking approach to law enforcement.

In 2011, I was promoted to the rank of sergeant, returning to patrol enforcement for approximately two years before being reassigned in June 2013 to the Criminal Investigations Division. As a sergeant supervising detectives in the western portion of Will County, my leadership qualities were recognized again in 2016 when I was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. As the lieutenant in the Criminal Investigations Division, I was tasked with the responsibility of supervising the entire division, including Crime Scene Investigations (CSI).

December 2017 marked another significant milestone in my career when I was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief, the role that I currently have. In this role, I oversee all Special Operations/Investigations units within the Will County Sheriff’s Office. I manage all supervisors, deputies, and support staff assigned to state or federal agencies for the sheriff’s office, Will County Warrants, the Gang Suppression Unit, Investigations, and Crime Scene Investigations. My strategic and forward-thinking leadership has been instrumental in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of these units.

One of the first things I did as Deputy Chief was take on additional responsibilities by changing the management structure of all School Resource Officers (SRO) assigned within the Will County Sheriff’s Office. School safety is a major concern for me, and all SROs were reassigned to Special Operations and were made detectives. Additional training for all SRO’s was implemented and all are cross trained in critical incident management, rapid response, Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT), and control the bleeding training.

In addition, I had all members of the Will County Warrants Unit become Task Force Officers (TFO) with the United States Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force. This cross designation has greatly enhanced the enforcement reach of the Will County Sheriff’s Office within the State of Illinois, throughout the country and abroad.

In 2020, my peers elected me as Chairman of the Will Grundy Major Crimes Task Force (WGMCTF), a position that further demonstrated my dedication and leadership capabilities. In 2023, I was honored with a nomination to attend the prestigious Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy (FBINA) located in Quantico, Virginia. Less than one-percent of all law enforcement professionals have the honor and privilege to attend this intensive ten-week training. The training focuses on advanced communication, physical fitness, and leadership qualities needed as a law enforcement professional both now and in the future. I graduated from session 286 of the FBINA in June of 2023.

Shortly after graduating from the FBINA, I decided to step down as Chairman of the WGMCTF in August of 2023 to announce my intention of candidacy for Sheriff of Will County, aiming to bring my extensive experience and unwavering dedication to this role.

As a lifelong resident of Will County, I have been committed to giving back to the community that helped shape me. For the past nine years, I have assisted and volunteered for the United Way of Will County and recently I was appointed to the Executive Board; I am an executive board member of the 100 Club of Will County, which assists families of first responders that have been killed in the line of duty; I am also an active member of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge 94, I am on the Advisory Council for Reclaim 13 which is an organization that helps victims of human trafficking acclimate back into society; I am the current treasurer for the Executive Board of the Northeastern Illinois Regional Crime Laboratory (NIRCL); For the past 12 years, I have worked with the Will County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition; and I serve on numerous other state and local committees and organizations as a command member of the Will County Sheriff’s Office.

My personal life is as fulfilling as my professional one. I have been happily married to my wife Jennifer, who is a high school teacher in Will County, since October of 2008. We have two wonderful teenage children, Abigail and Derek, who keep us extremely busy with all of their extracurricular activities. Our family currently resides in Channahon, Illinois, where we are active and engaged members of the community and attend St. Ann Catholic Church.

I believe that my career is a testament to my honor, dedication, and forward-thinking approach to the field of law enforcement. My over twenty-five years of decorated service with the Will County Sheriff’s Office reflect a deep commitment to public safety and community well-being. These are qualities that I intend to bring as the future Sheriff of Will County.