With the retirement of current Sheriff Paul Vescovo, a chance for different leadership in the Sheriff’s Office emerged. On Tuesday, November 3, the people of Clay County chose Will Akin for the job.

*Will Akin will begin his duties on January 1, 2021*

Akin ran against veteran law enforcement officer Wick Pickard. Both men were highly qualified for the job and had years of experience in the law enforcement community. Pickard’s experience includes 45 years in law enforcement and he’s currently a reserve police officer for the city of Oakview.

Akin also has many years of experience. He has been working in the law enforcement field for over 17 years, graduated from the FBI Academy, and is also a veteran of the U.S. Army. Akin is currently serving as Captain and a division commander with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and director of Emergency Management for Clay County. This year he also earned his Doctor of Education in Ethical Leadership from Olivet Nazarene University.

One of Akin’s priorities when he takes over in 2021 is to work with the new Commission to increase Deputy pay and attract quality personnel to fill about 20 positions in the Sheriff’s Office.

“I’m going to provide a plan to the Commission so that we can all work together to come up with something that’s feasible for Clay County,” said Akin on a recent episode of Kearney Live. “Platte County Sheriff’s Office just increased their salaries for Deputies to $45,000 a year. Clay County starts our Deputies off at $35,400 roughly. That’s a $10,000 disparity.”

Akin, who won with an uncertified 56.4% of the vote, will begin his duties on January 1, 2021.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story