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Sheriff Mike Gleason

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Sheriff Mike Gleason was elected on November 3, 2020 as the Sheriff of Williamson County, Texas and on January 1, 2021 became the 36th Sheriff of Williamson County, Texas, where he and his family are longtime residents.  Mike started off in Corrections while attending school and after being sworn as a licensed peace officer, spent over 23 years at the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.  He rose through the ranks holding numerous high ranking command positions in every division within the bureau.  Mike served under 5 different Williamson County Sheriffs throughout his career.  During his final 15 months of service at the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office he was the Assistant Chief Deputy in charge of jail operations, overseeing close to 300 corrections employees, approximately 700 inmates, and an annual budget of approximately $23.6 million.  Mike retired from the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office as an Assistant Chief Deputy. 

Mike became interested in law enforcement after attending a career-day presentation when he was in 7th grade.  While attending high school he began doing ride-outs with Austin Police Department officers, including his brother-in-law, who had been his male role model since his father’s death at a young age.

Mike completed his undergraduate studies in Criminal Justice while being the first ever to receive the Dr. M. James Moritz Scholarship from the 100 Club of Texas, graduated from the 217 Session of the FBI National Academy Quantico, Virginia, attended Sam Houston State University and graduated from the Correction Management Institute of Texas (CMIT) program at Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT), and complete his MBA at Charter University. Additionally, he holds numerous certifications including Firearms Training Instructor, Master Peace Officer License, Mental Health Officer, Secret Security Clearance, and Advanced Accident Investigation and Reconstruction.   

Sheriff Mike Gleason is passionate and committed to Mental Health reforms that will resolve some of the existing challenges, with a focus on mental health treatment programs to lower recidivism rates.   Mike was responsible for the creation of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), in 2006 under the direction of Sheriff James Wilson.  In 2008 the CIT became a nationally recognized program, Williamson County Sheriff’s Office was awarded “National Sheriff of the Year”, under former Sheriff James Wilson.  The CIT Team is trained to understand and assist with individuals suffering from mental health or other related problems.  He has already reconstructed a CIT team to handle the multitude of mental health calls and to help ensure the safety of the citizens.

Sheriff Mike Gleason is absolutely against defunding of police.  He believes in creating strong partnerships with our county and local city leadership to ensure our Sheriff’s department is adequately funded and receives the support needed.  He believes it is the job of the Sheriff to responsibly and appropriately manage a budget that provides citizens, taxpayers, and employees with the service they deserve.  During his previous tenure at Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, he developed many initiatives for pay, due process, career growth, and technology improvements.  He has the demonstrated ability to foster strong relationships with other law enforcement agencies and government bodies and is in the process of rebuilding those relationships between WCSO and other agencies.

Sheriff Gleason is honored to serve his community, implement programs/processes that will rebuild community trust in law enforcement, and create an environment that supports strong employee morale, while ensuring that all employees are afforded proper due process.  He is a leader who is committed to working for employees, constituents, and the greater good of our community.  

 
 
Chief Deputy Patrick Erickson

Chief Pat Erickson is originally from Andover Illinois and was brought to Central Texas via Ft. Hood. Pat started his Law Enforcement career when he enlisted in the Army Military Police Corps in 1985.Pat was originally stationed in Germany and then Ft. Hood, Texas. Pat had received over 1,000 hours of Military Police specific training prior to attending the Central Texas College Basic Police Officer’s Course in 1997.Pat served on active duty until his enlistment contract was complete in May of 1999 when he received an Honorable Discharge. Pat enlisted in the Army Reserve and served in the 4003rd Military Police Detachment until May of 2000.Pat was hired by the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office in October of 1999.

Pat has held the positions of Deputy, Field Training Officer, Auto Theft Detective, Internal Affairs Detective, Patrol Sergeant, Traffic Sergeant, Patrol Lieutenant, Traffic Lieutenant, Criminal Investigations Lieutenant, and Headquarters Support Lieutenant. Pat has held a supervisory position since 2004 and has supervised both sworn and non-sworn employees.

While working at the Sheriff’s Office Pat was able to obtain his Associates Degree from ACC in Criminal Justice and his Bachelors Degree from Midwestern State University, also in Criminal Justice. Pat has completed the FBI LEEDA Trilogy and attended the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA class #256.

Pat obtained his Master Peace Officer License in 2009 and holds his Mental Health Officer Certificate, Instructor Certificate, and his Special Investigator Certificate. Pat has over 14,000 total course hours of training and education.

Pat retired from the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office on October 1st of 2018 and went to work for the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor as the Patrol Operations Lieutenant. Pat worked for UMHB until December 2nd 2020 and was appointed as Chief Deputy by Sheriff Gleason on January 1st 2021.

 

Chief Deputy Patrick Erickson standing next to an American Flag on a textured grey background

 
 
Chief James Carmona - Special Operations

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Chief James D. Carmona has twenty-seven years of experience in law enforcement.  He began his career with the City of Taylor, working as a dispatcher before attending the Basic Peace Officer’s Academy where he obtained his peace officer certification in 1990. He then served three years as a patrol officer before being promoted to corporal. He worked in the school teaching D.A.R.E/ Drug Abuse Resistance Education and G.R.E.A.T / Gang Resistance Education and Training.  

James began his career with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office in March of 1994 as a deputy. During his twenty-three years of service to the citizens of Williamson County, James has served as a patrol deputy, school resource office, detective, sergeant and lieutenant  and has supervised both sworn and civilian employees.  He has worked in Patrol, the Criminal Investigations Division, Internal Affairs, Narcotics and Training and has supervised the Sheriff’s Office Gang Unit and Crisis Negotiations Team.  He has served as the Texas Commission on  Law Enforcement training coordinator for the agency.  James obtained his Master Peace Officer Certification 2007 and his Instructor Certification 2009.

James retired from the Williamson County Sheriff Office December 2016. He was appointed Assistant Chief Deputy Special Operations by Sheriff Mike Gleason January 1st, 2020 and will supervise training, community liaisons, highway interdiction, animal control, livestock, narcotics, SROs and reserve deputies. 

James and his wife, lifelong residents of Williamson County, are proud parents of three children and three grandchildren.

 
 
Chief Kathleen Pokluda - Corrections

Chief Kathleen Pokluda has twenty-five years experience in the corrections field. She began her career in 1995 as a corrections officer with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. In 1997, she obtained her peace officer’s license and worked as a dual certified officer in the jail. Kathleen received a BA in Social Welfare from Texas Tech University and is certified as a Master Jailer, Master Peace Officer, Basic Instructor, and received Jail Mental Health Officer Master Trainer certification from the Correctional Management Institute of Texas (CMIT).

She held many different positions in corrections to include transportation deputy, sergeant and lieutenant of support services and in 2007, Kathleen promoted to Captain in support services. She worked closely with the courts and mental health advocates involving inmates with mental health issues and impairments. Under Sheriff James Wilson, Kathleen introduced a specialized housing area in the jail for inmates suffering with mental health issues and significant physical impairments.

Kathleen retired from the Sheriff’s Office August 18, 2017 and went to work for the Texas Commission on Jail Standards in September 2017. She traveled extensively across the state of Texas as a Mental Health Trainer for TCJS. She assisted in developing the curriculum for the state-mandated course “Mental Health Training for Jailers #4900” and trained corrections staff regarding mental health conditions, mental impairments and intellectual developmental disabilities and the best practices for management of this jail population. She resigned from TCJS in October 2020 and on January 1, 2021, was appointed as Assistant Chief Deputy by Sheriff Gleason.

Kathleen has been married for 36 years. She and her husband have 3 children and 3 grandchildren.

 

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Chief James David - Law Enforcement

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Chief James David Jr. has been employed by the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office for over 30 years. He began his career in 1990 as a Corrections Officer attaining the rank of Corporal where he served until 1993. In 1993 he tested and was transferred to the Patrol Division as a deputy where he served until 1999 when he was promoted to the rank of Detective. As a Detective he was assigned to General Crimes, Special Crimes and Juvenile Crimes divisions. In 2001 he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and returned to his favorite assignment, Patrol. In 2006 he was promoted to Lieutenant over the Patrol Division and served in that capacity until 2017. James was promoted to Patrol Captain by Sheriff James Wilson, serving until 2018 when he transferred back to patrol as a Lieutenant. He was promoted to Patrol Commander by Sheriff Mike Gleason on January 1, 2021, and is the Chief over Patrol, Swift Water, Dive Rescue and Recovery and SWAT operations.

James has been awarded the Sheriffs Cross for Valor, as well as numerous awards and commendations during his career. He holds a Master Peace Officer License from TCOLE and is a 2003 Graduate of the UT-APD Leadership Academy and an FBI-LEEDA Trilogy graduate.

James was deployed to Houston during Hurricane Harvey where his Swift Water Rescue team was responsible for over 100 rescues over the course of three days in the Houston area.

James was born and raised in Williamson county where he still lives with his wife and two sons. He enjoys hunting, fishing, baseball and BBQ cooking competitions.

 
 
Chief of Staff Rebecca Rodriguez

Chief of Staff Rebecca Rodriguez (Becky) has twenty years of experience in public safety support. She began her career in 911 Communications where she served as a Communications Officer, trainer, supervisor, Communications Manager and ultimately, Chief of Staff. The Administrative Division consists of the Human Resources, Data Entry, open records, Human Resources, Victim Services, Quartermaster, Accreditation units as well as the Communications Liaison.    She holds a Master’s Communications License, is a Certified Emergency Number Professional (ENP) and was a Top 40 Under 40 award recipient awarded by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in 2016 .

Chief of Staff Rebecca Rodriguez is the proud mother of four children, three sons and one daughter.

 

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Commander Troy Brogden - Special Operations

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Commander Troy Brogden is the current Commander of Special Operations. Troy began his career in law enforcement after his honorable discharge from the Marine Corp in 1995. After serving the residents of Rockdale and Milam county, Troy became a patrol deputy in Williamson County in 1999.

Over the past 22 years, Troy has worn many hats in the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, allowing him to gain invaluable experience. After serving as a patrol deputy, Troy was promoted to detective where he specialized in property crimes and eventually internal affairs. Continuing to pursue advancement, Troy was promoted to Sgt. and held that supervisory position over multiple departments within the agency over the course of his career.

A lifelong learner, Troy holds his Master Peace Officer License and completed the FBI LEEDA Leadership Trilogy. When he is not working, Troy enjoys spending time with family and traveling. He has been married for 29 years to his wife, Kerri and has two grown daughters and one granddaughter. 

 
 
Commander Craig Gripentrog - Patrol

Commander Craig Gripentrog started his career with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office before quickly coming home to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office in 1994 as a Corrections Officer. He served for two years in the jail as a booking officer while putting himself through the nighttime, Basic Police Academy. In 1996 he tested for and was promoted to the Patrol Division. While in Patrol he began to take on roles that he has a passion for, teaching, crash investigations, and interdicting DWIs. In 1998 he lateralled into the Traffic Unit. In 2001 he joined the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office Special Missions Team as a founding team member. In all, he served almost 17 years on the Special Missions Team where he was part of hundreds of high-risk missions. Then in 2007 he was promoted to Sergeant over the Traffic Unit and the Special Missions Team. When he was promoted in 2016 to Lieutenant he served in many capacities from Patrol, Training Coordinator, and then in 2019 he returned to the Special Operations Unit as the Lieutenant over the Traffic Unit, K9 and CIT. In August of 2022 he was promoted to Patrol Commander by Sheriff Mike Gleason where he is the Commander over Patrol, SWAT, Dive Rescue and Recovery, and Swiftwater Rescue.

Commander Gripentrog has received 2 unit citations while serving on the Special missions Team. He has an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the Austin Community College. He is an FBI-LEEDA Leadership award recipient and in 2019 Craig graduated from the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas. He holds a Master Peace Officer License, Master Jailer License, and an Advanced Instructor Certificate from TCOLE.

Commander Gripentrog has grown up in Williamson County most of his life even graduating from Leander High School in 1989. He still loves teaching and teaches a variety of classes still today all over the country. He enjoys any time he gets to spend with his wife, grandson, and German Shepherds. He also enjoys reading and is an avid Nascar fan.

 

Lieutenant Greg Gripentrog standing next to an American flag in front a textured grey backgroundAdd Content...

 
 
Commander John Foster - Criminal Investigation Division

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Commander John Foster is originally from Dallas. His career includes more than 25 years of law enforcement experience, including 18 years with the Williamson County Sheriff's Office. He holds a Master Peace Officer License and attended Brookhaven College.

John worked his way through the ranks with the Sheriff's Office beginning in patrol then earning the rank of Detective, Detective Sergeant, and Lieutenant over Investigations. While working in the investigations' division, John found his calling. He has helped solve many high-profile cases for the victims of crimes in Williamson County. John received the Sheriffs Medal of Valor award in 2000.

Commander Foster leads a dedicated group of detectives who are focused on improving community trust and involvement while promoting fair and impartial investigations. John believes in data driven and intelligence led investigations.  His goal is to increase community involvement and develop stronger partnerships with other law enforcement agencies.

John enjoys spending time with his wife watching his son play high school football and track and watching his daughter cheerleading in middle school.  

 
 
Commander Jason Harder - Corrections Jail Operations
Commander Jason Harder is originally from Bay Port, Michigan. Jason spent 6 years in the Army before beginning his Corrections career with the Bell County Sheriff’s Department. He has been in Corrections for 20 years.  Jason has been employed with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office since 2003 and holds a Master Jailer’s license. He obtained his Peace Officer’s License in 2005 and continued to serve as a Dual Certified officer within the jail.Jason has been married for 24 years and has one daughter. In his off time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter and visiting with his nieces and nephews.
 

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Commander Chris Watts - Corrections Support Services

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Commander Chris Watts has lived in Williamson County since February of 1979. He graduated from Westwood High School in 1986 and attended Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas graduating with a B.S. Degree in Criminal Justice in 1991.He has worked as a Dispatcher, Patrolman and Corrections Officer. Christopher has been employed with Williamson County Sheriff’s Office since December 1994.
 
 
Commander Jeffrey Williams - Corrections Special Services
Jeffrey Williams was born and raised in Williamson County. He started his career at the Williamson County Jail in 2003 as an admin tech. In 2004, Jeff took a position as a correction officer. During his time as a corrections officer, he worked in various positions to include booking, releasing, grievance, disciplinary and gang intelligence. In 2008, Jeff promoted to Sergeant and was assigned to Special Services. He graduated from the Basic Peace Officer Course and shortly after was promoted to Lieutenant. As a Lieutenant, Jeff was responsible for overseeing training for the jail staff, compliance, and investigations within the jail. Currently he is Commander over Special Services.
 

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