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Cherokee County commissioners install Chris Ellington Wood as sheriff and approve hiring his son as deputy
Summary
At a Feb. 20 special meeting, the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the nomination of Chris Ellington Wood to fill the county's vacant sheriff's office and authorized hiring his son, Hunter Ellington Wood, as a deputy. The oath was scheduled for Feb. 23, 2026.
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Feb. 20 to install Chris Ellington Wood as sheriff and to allow hiring his son, Hunter Ellington Wood, as a deputy during a special meeting at the Cherokee County Courthouse.
The vote followed a formal nomination conveyed by a representative of the Cherokee County Republican Party Executive Committee and a statement from County Attorney Darryl Brown that Wood had provided the required bond and the certification from the NC Sheriff's Standards and Training Commission required by state statute.
Commissioner Dan Eichenbaum moved to accept the nomination and install Chris Ellington Wood; Commissioner Mark Stiles seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. Chairman Alan Bryant then moved to permit the hiring of Hunter Ellington Wood as a deputy; Mark Stiles seconded and the board again approved the motion unanimously.
The board was chaired by Alan Bryant and other commissioners present included Vice Chair Cal Stiles, Dan Eichenbaum, Ben Adams and Mark Stiles. County Manager Randy Wiggins offered the invocation; Chief Deputy Justin Jacobs and County Attorney Darryl Brown were present. Reporters Randy Foster of the Cherokee Scout and Ralph Robinson of Local TV4 recorded the proceedings.
Chris Ellington Wood invited the public to the administration of the oath of office for him and his deputies on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, at the Cherokee County Courthouse. The meeting adjourned at 5:41 p.m. The minutes of the special meeting were later approved at the board's regular meeting on March 9, 2026.
Formal actions recorded in the meeting minutes show both motions passed unanimously. The county attorney's statement that the nominee provided bond and the NC Sheriff's Standards and Training Commission certification is recorded in the minutes; the transcript does not specify the statute cited by name.
