Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang, from left, Sheriff-elect Kent Vander Kamp, Commissioner Patti Adair and Commissioner Tony DeBone are pictured Wednesday. 

Kent Vander Kamp was appointed Deschutes County Sheriff Wednesday morning after the sitting Sheriff Shane Nelson decided to retire from the role effective Jan. 1, just five days before Vander Kamp was scheduled to take office.

Vander Kamp’s appointment by the Deschutes County Commission is effective Jan. 1. He was elected Nov. 5 after a contentious campaign, and his term officially begins Jan. 6, when he will be sworn in as planned.

Nelson, who had previously stated his intention to serve out the rest of his term, told The Bulletin in an email that he made the decision to retire on Jan. 1 because the “Oregon Public Employee Retirement System requires an individual to retire on the first of the month. That is why I am retiring.”

While there is not a rule that requires employees to retire at the beginning of the month, public employee retirement applications cannot be processed until the first of the month following the last day of employment. If Nelson were to finish out his term on the 6th, he would not be able to begin his retirement application process until Feb. 1.

Nelson’s sheriff career

Nelson is the third of four Deschutes County sheriffs this century to not finish out his term. As was typical of previous administrations, Nelson was appointed sheriff in 2015 by the Deschutes County Commission after former Sheriff Larry Blanton stepped down; Blanton came into the role in a similar way when Sheriff Les Stiles also stepped down in 2007.

Nelson grew up in Bend and joined the sheriff’s office as a reserve deputy in 1993, as a deputy in 1994, and has served in various positions since, rising to jail commander before his appointment as sheriff.

After his appointment in 2015, Nelson was elected to the seat as the incumbent, defeating Deputy Eric Kozowski that same year. Nelson later fired Kozowski in 2018 for alleged underperformance but a jury in 2021 found Nelson and Deschutes County wrongfully terminated Kozowski in retaliation.

Nelson’s eight years in office have sometimes been plagued by turmoil and accusations of a toxic workplace culture. Shortly after Kozowski was awarded $1million in damages, the county reached a $527,000 settlement in the federal complaint filed by former Deputy Crystal Jansen, who accused Nelson of retaliating against her for raising concerns about gender discrimination. At the time, she was the only woman in a supervisory role.

In 2021, Nelson remained in the hot seat after Capt. Deron McMaster resigned amid accusations that Nelson was targeting McMaster for failing to report an alleged sexual assault committed by another officer despite Nelson’s own unreported knowledge of the incident. Earlier this year, the county settled Deron McMaster’s wrongful termination suit for $265,000 on the condition the agency was not held liable for any of McMaster’s accusations.

Final years

In 2023, Nelson won the Sheriff of the Year award from the Oregon State Sheriff Association. During his time as Sheriff, Nelson served on 11 Oregon State Sheriff Association committees, including the executive committee and as the elected treasurer, vice president and president.

However, also in 2023 Nelson came under scrutiny for overspending. The Bulletin reported that the sheriff’s office overestimated the amount of money it would start 2023 with by more than $2 million. At the same time, The Bulletin reported that in an effort to improve employee health and morale, the office spent $5,100 on fitness trackers, $800 per month on fruit bowls and $60,000 giving employees at the jail free meals, among other purchases.

That same year Nelson announced he would not be running for a third term and endorsed Vander Kamp’s opponent, Capt. William Bailey as his replacement.

In the months leading up to the November election, four employees, including Vander Kamp, filed tort claim notices to inform the sheriff’s office of potential lawsuits alleging retaliation and rights violations. Vander Kamp told The Bulletin after he won the election that he would not to move forward with his lawsuit .

Nelson’s final months saw an internal investigation into Vander Kamp for omitting his volunteer experience with the city of La Mesa, California from his employment applications — and Nelson’s ensuing lawsuit to obtain Vander Kamp’s 27-year-old personnel records. Shortly before Election Day, Nelson broke his silence on the matter to defend the lawsuit against accusations of election interference as well as make a statement saying he would not hire Vander Kamp if he applied to the sheriff’s office again.

Management style

Throughout his career, Nelson has defended his management style. Recently, when The Bulletin asked about the $3.3 million in costs Nelson has incurred during his term fighting employee lawsuits, he said: “I strive to do the right thing and that includes holding people accountable for their actions. We are in a high liability business that deals with emergencies. It is imperative we ensure the best professionals are performing to the best of their ability to serve our citizens who are our bosses.”

Nelson has historically been tight-lipped around the press. On Wednesday, he declined to speak with The Bulletin about his time in office. In a statement from 2023 announcing his retirement, Nelson briefly reflected on his time with the agency:

“It has been my greatest professional honor to serve as your Sheriff,” Nelson said. “I have been blessed with a wonderful family, great teammates, and supportive community members. Together, you all have ensured a strong and effective sheriff’s office known for excellent customer service.