Lane County commissioners appoint Carl E. Wilkerson as sheriff after public interview

Carl E. Wilkerson, the acting sheriff and chief deputy of the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, was appointed Lane County sheriff by the Lane County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, following a public interview and unanimous 5-0 vote on board order 25061101.

Wilkerson will serve as sheriff effective June 11, 2025, until the vacancy created by the resignation of Sheriff Cliff Harold is filled by election. The board conducted an open application period from May 16 to May 27 after Harold announced his retirement on May 1 and left office May 16; three applications were received and two candidates were screened out for not meeting the county residency requirement, leaving Wilkerson as the sole qualified applicant to be interviewed.

The open-interview process was explained at the outset by Chair Lovell, who told the public the board selected an open application and interview process "in order to provide the most transparent and open process for our community." Chief Human Resources Officer Alana Holmes noted the panel had a prepared list of interview questions and said, "you have interview questions, and there are a total of 12," and that follow-up questions on answers were allowed so long as they remained on topic.

In th…