Board of County Commissioners appoints Carl Wilkerson to serve as Lane County Sheriff
Carl Wilkerson has been unanimously appointed Lane County Sheriff by the Board of County Commissioners. Sheriff Wilkerson will serve in his appointed capacity through 2026 and, if elected by voters in 2026, would begin a full four-year term in 2027.
“I am both honored and humbled to continue to serve the Sheriff’s Office and our community in this new capacity,” said Sheriff Wilkerson. “I am very proud of the men and women who make up the Sheriff’s Office. I appreciate how hard they work and their passion to serve the Lane County community. I want to thank the Sheriff’s Office staff, the community, and most importantly, my family in supporting me throughout my career.”
Sheriff Wilkerson has served as Chief Deputy of the agency since 2019 but began his career with the Lane County Sheriff’s Office more than 30 years ago as a cadet in the Explorer Post, a Marine Patrol boat aid, and as a reserve deputy sheriff before being hired as a deputy with the agency in 1996.
Sheriff Wilkerson was first assigned to the Corrections Division where he worked in the Security Section for more than three years. He transferred to the Police Services Division in 2000, where he worked in the Court Security / Inmate Transport Section until he completed the Basic Police Academy and was ultimately transferred to the Main Office Patrol Section.
Sheriff Wilkerson worked Main Office Patrol for a short time and was then transferred to the Traffic Safety Team where he primarily focused on DUII Enforcement. While assigned to the Traffic Safety Team, he became a drug recognition expert for investigating drug impaired drivers and was assigned to the joint Lane County Sheriff’s Office/Eugene Police Department Metro SWAT Team. Sheriff Wilkerson also served as a field training officer. In 2004 he was assigned to Creswell under the contract the city holds with the Sheriff’s Office, and worked there until he transferred to the Criminal Investigations Section in 2005 as a detective where he would serve until his promotion to sergeant in 2013.
As a sergeant, Sheriff Wilkerson was responsible for managing the Reserve Deputy Program and the Police Services Taser Program. In 2014, he was reassigned to the Criminal Investigations Section as the Detective Sergeant and worked in this role until being promoted to Police Services Division Lieutenant. He also acted as the Special Response Team Assistant Team Commander.
In 2019, Sheriff Harrold appointed him to the Chief Deputy position. During his tenure as the Chief Deputy, Sheriff Wilkerson supervised the division commanders of the Police and Corrections divisions and was the Division Commander for the Operations Support Division. He was responsible for personnel, labor relations, budget, training, the Office of Professional Standards, the radio-network, and a variety of other tasks, including serving as incident commander of Lane County’s emergency operations center during the Holiday Farm Fire and other wildfires.
Sheriff Wilkerson is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, Class 277. He has attended the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association Command College, the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association Sheriff’s Institute, and he holds an executive police certification through the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. Sheriff Wilkerson earned his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Bushnell University.
“We are fortunate to have had a tradition of Sheriffs serving Lane County who not only enforce laws but have developed a culture of caring and professional public safety servants—putting the department head and shoulders above any in the state,” said Lane County Board of Commissioners Chair David Loveall. “Carl will not only continue that work, but I believe will lead our Sheriff’s Office to new heights and increased public trust with his leadership and experience. I couldn’t be more pleased and encouraged with this transition and for the county’s future with Sheriff Carl Wilkerson.”
Sheriff Wilkerson’s appointment follows the retirement of former Sheriff Clifton Harrold who served as Sheriff from 2019 to 2025.