The Emporia Gazette

May 28, 2012

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Five applicants for the position of Greenwood County Sheriff will be considered by the Greenwood County Republican Central Committee when they gather for interviews and their nomination on Saturday.

Vonda Wiedmer, Republican Central Committee Chair, has reported that five resumes have been officially received. Two others had expressed an interest by phone, but no additional resumes were submitted.

As of the cutoff date of Tuesday of this week, the five candidates for appointment are Rusty Bitler, Heath Samuels, Troy Mead, Leonard Moore, and Ralph Romig.

Rusty Bitler is the current Greenwood County Undersheriff. He has worked for Greenwood County for eight and a half years as a Deputy, K-9 Deputy, Sergeant and Undersheriff. He attended the Kansas Law Enforcement Training program. He is the Assistant Emergency Management Director for Greenwood County and has worked as a Seasonal Natural Resource Officer with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and as a volunteer firefighter for the Eureka Fire Department. He has been married for ten years, has two children and lives in Eureka.

Heath Samuels is a Deputy for the Lyon County Sheriff’s Department. He worked as a Greenwood County jailor from 2002-2003, and for the Lyon County Sheriff’s Department for three years. He attended Washburn and Emporia State Universities, and the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center. He has been married for two years and currently lives in Emporia.

Troy Mead is an insulator for Integrated Solutions Incorporated. He worked for the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Department from 1999 to 2006 as a Detention Officer and a Deputy/Sergeant. He attended Neosho County and Butler Community Colleges. He has been married for ten years and has three children. He lives in Eureka.

Leonard Moore is employed at the El Dorado Department of Corrections as a Training Lieutenant. He has worked at the El Dorado facility since 1991 as Assistant Commander and Commander for the Special Operations Response Teams. He has two children and lives in Eureka.

Ralph Romig lives in Iola and has been in law enforcement since 1958, first for the Eureka Police Department. He has worked for the El Dorado Sheriff’s Office, Kansas Highway Patrol, Emporia Police Department, Chief of Police of Burlington Police Department, Chief of Police of the Hoisington Police Department, Security Guard and Security Transport. He went to Wichita State University, is married, and has children and grandchildren.

The committee will meet again at the Eureka Public Library on Saturday, February 26, at 9:00 a.m. where each candidate will present a three minute speech before the meeting is closed to the public for the interview process when each candidate will have the opportunity to speak to the committee privately. When the interviews are finished, the thirty-three committeemen and committeewomen will vote in a secret ballot. The candidate receiving a majority of votes will be elected by the convention and the candidate’s name will be submitted to the Governor of Kansas as the convention’s recommendation for appointment to fill the position of sheriff for the remainder of the term left vacant by the early retirement of current Sheriff Mark Kenneson.