Board

President

Chandler Lehrer


Washington County

About Chandler

Chandler Lehrer

Chandler Lehrer has been with Washington County since August of 2016. Since then, she has taken on a number of different roles including, Booking Officer, S.R.T. member, classification officer and assists with Deceased Records.

She joined the Wisconsin Jail Association in January of 2020 and shortly after took on the role of Secretary.

Vice President

Sam Pieper


Walworth County

About Sam

Sam Pieper

My name is Sam and I’ve been with Walworth County Sheriff’s Office as a Correctional Officer since March 2021. I was previously a sworn law enforcement officer in the state of Wisconsin for several years.

I’ve recently become a training officer and would like to pursue more opportunities in the future.

I joined the WJA as a Board Member not only be part of an amazing organization but gain additional experiences and training opportunities to better myself and my department.

Past President

Kris Anderson


St. Croix County

About Kris

Kris Anderson

Hello, my name is Kristen (Kris) Anderson. I have been in the field of Corrections for over 20 years with the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office and I am dual certified for Jail and Patrol. During that time I have been an FTO, adjunct instructor at CVTC, CIT trained, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Program Director/Volunteer Coordinator and Captain/Jail Administrator.

I have an A.S. in Protective Service, B.S. in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology, and a Master’s degree in Leadership and Management in Law Enforcement. I am also a graduate of the National Jail Leadership Command Academy.

As you can see I believe in life-long learning and look forward to being a part of an organization that brings training and professionalism to the field of Corrections.

Treasurer

Troy Beyer


Shawano County

About Troy

Troy Beyer

Troy has been employed with the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office for 24 years. He has held the position of Corrections Officer, Jail Sergeant, and is currently a Jail Lieutenant with the department.

Troy has been a board member of the Wisconsin Jail Association since 2009. He has held numerous positions in the association to include Secretary, Vice President, President, and Past President. He currently serves as the Treasurer.

Secretary

Melissa Saeger


Adams County

About Melissa

Melissa Saeger

Hello, my name is Melissa Saeger. I am the Jail Administrator of Adams County. I have over 23 years of Correctional experience. I have an Associates Degree in Correctional Science and have completed several leadership courses that include National Association of Counties Leadership Academy and Leadership in Police Organizations. I am an adjunct instructor at Mid-State Technical college and have held numerous administrative roles throughout my career.

I have a passion for Corrections, and I am excited to be part of the WJA board so I can give back to the career that has given so much to me.

Amy Vaughn


Dept. of Corrections
Office of Detention Facilities

About Amy

Amy Vaughn

Amy Vaughn has worked in Corrections for over 16 years. She has held the position of Corrections Officer, Jail Sergeant, and is currently a Detention Facilities Specialist for the Office of Detention Facilities with the Department of Corrections.

Amy has been a board member of the Wisconsin Jail Association since 2005. She has held numerous positions in the association to include Vice President, President, and Past President.

Tyler Edwards


Douglas County

About Tyler

John Behrent

Tyler Edwards

Tyler Edwards has been a Jail Officer with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office since 1999. He was promoted to Jail Sergeant in 2004 and held the position for the next 14 years. In 2018 he was promoted again to Lieutenant of Jail Operations and most recently in 2020 he was promoted to Captain and holds the title of Jail Administrator.
Edwards has been a member of the Wisconsin Jail Association since 2006. He has held numerous positions in the association to include interim Secretary, Vice President, President, Past President, and currently is a Board Member overseeing vendor relations.

Edwards earned his BS/BA in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix in 2005 and served in the United States Navy as a Machinist from 1994 to 1997

 

Shelly Sandry


Dept. of Justice

About Shelly

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Shelly Sandry

After almost 12 years as a police officer, Shelly came to the Training and Standards Bureau to work with instructor certifications. After four years, she moved into the position that she currently holds as an Educational Consultant working with the Jail and Secure Juvenile Detention preparatory training curriculum.

Shelly also oversees the Officer Wellness curriculum for all the law enforcement programs and is on the PEER Support Advisory Committee through DOJ. Shelly is proud to be an advisory board member to the WJA and is a liaison from WJA to the Training and Standards Bureau.

Shelly holds a BA degree in Criminal Justice from UW-Platteville and a Masters in Organizational Management from University of Phoenix.

 

Nancy Thelen


Dept. of Corrections

Office of Detention Facilities

About Nancy

Nancy Thelen

Nancy Thelen

Nancy Thelen has worked in the field of Law Enforcement and Corrections for over 25 years. She has held the positions of Patrol Officer, Jail Sergeant, Jail Administrator, 911 Emergency Dispatch Center Coordinator, Department of Corrections Captain and is currently a Detention Facilities Specialist for the Office of Detention Facilities with the Department of Corrections.

Nancy enjoys working with the counties and municipalities providing technical assistance to enhance operations and promote good correctional practice.
Being on the board for the Wisconsin Jail Association is an honor and working with the committee members is a privilege. The committee has made great strides in an effort to facilitate excellent training opportunities at the Annual WJA Conference and at the additional training dates that have been provided.

 

Kaylan Rich


Jackson County

About Kaylan

Kaylan Rich

I am a third-generation employee of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. Over the course of my employment here, which began in 2013, I have held the titles of Corrections Officer, Field Training Officer, and Jail Sergeant. I am now proudly serving in the position of Jail Administrator/ Captain of the Jackson County Jail.

I’m a graduate of the Command College Leadership Program and certified as a Jail Instructor through the Wisconsin Training and Standards Bureau. I firmly believe that continuous education and training are imperative to the field of Corrections, and it is through constant professional development that we are able to maintain the highest quality of service to our community.

Lucas Johnson


Jackson County

About Lucas

Lucas Johnson

Lucas Johnson, Corrections Sergeant with Jackson County.

I have held many roles in my time in Jackson County from Officer, Field Training Officer and now Sergeant and Field Training Supervisor. I also head my departments trainings.

In my free time I am a volunteer Firefighter with the City of Black River Falls. I have been with the City Fire Department since 2017.

Since my start in corrections I have loved every moment of it. There is always something to learn. I also love teaching staff. Training in my opinion is and should be at the highest priority. With my position on the WJA I hope to strive to make a difference each and everyday.

Joe Moser


Marinette County

About Joe

Joe Moser

After receiving my Associates Degree for Criminal Justice – Law Enforcement through Fox Valley Technical College in 2011, I began my career as a correctional officer through the Marinette County Law Enforcement Center in 2012.  While there I was able to transition to the Huber/Work Release Officer for approximately two years, overseeing Huber inmates and GPS Monitoring.  Following that, I was hired as a correctional deputy at the Winnebago County Jail.

Although I enjoyed my time at Winnebago, I was offered a position back at the Marinette County Jail as the Inmate Education and Programming Sgt. after two years being away.  I promptly accepted the position where I remained for 4 years.  During that time I became a UOF/POSC and Taser Instructor at the Marinette County Jail.

Finally, in 2022 I accepted the position as the Assistant Jail Administrator for the Marinette County Jail.  Although I started my career with an interest in Law Enforcement with aspirations to be a patrol officer I believe that I have found my niche in corrections.  Prior to entering the field I had no idea the complexities of corrections and all the entities involved.

I have learned so much through my professional career and look forward to learning from my colleagues and other stakeholders in Criminal Justice for many years to come.

Will Mann


Walworth County

About Will

Will Mann

William Mann, a Corrections Sergeant with the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office has been taking strides to educate shortly after his journey in Corrections began in 2003.

He has held the position of Correctional Officer, Correctional Training Officer (CTO), Electronic Monitoring Officer, Crisis Intervention Officer (CIT), in-service instructor, Taser instructor, adjunct instructor, and is a member of the Crisis Negotiator Team (CNT) with the Walworth County SWAT Team.
Will is certified to instruct all Jail General Topics, however, his favorites are Professional Communication Skills (PCS) and Principals Of Subject Control (P.O.S.C), of which he is a Defensive Tactics Master Instructor Trainer (M.I.T) and member of the Wisconsin P.O.S.C Advisory Committee.
Will was previously a WJA Board Member from 2018-2022 and is excited to return and continue assisting in the education of officers from across the State.

Kevin Smith


Brown County

About Kevin

Kevin Smith

Kevin Smith attended Northern Michigan University and graduated with an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice. He started part time after college at the Delta County Jail in Escanaba, MI. Then went to the Brown County Jail in 2001 until 2006. While in Brown County he became a CERT Member, POSC Instructor, Taser Instructor, CERT Instructor, and PCS Instructor. Kevin then went to Michigan Department of Corrections for 3 ½ years – Received MDOC life savings award and became an instructor in CPR and SCBA.
Kevin returned to Brown County in 2010 as a Training/Relief Corporal, MIT in POSC, Taser Instructor, CERT Instructor, PCS Instructor, CIT Training.
Kevin is also an Instructor for Jail Academies at FVTC and NWTC.

Eric Larson


Douglas County

About Eric

Eric Larson

Eric has been employed with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office since 2018. Since 2019, he has served as an FTO. In addition to that, he also serves as a C.E.R.T. member since 2019. He is a founding member of the newly formed Peer Support Team at the DCJ as well. He manages a Transitional Living Place for the WI DOC in his off time.

Eric is a new board member of the Wisconsin Jail Association as of September of 2023

Victoria Bonilla


Grant County

About Victoria

Victoria Bonilla

Hello, I am Victoria Bonilla. I have been with Grant County since 2021. I started off part time and then moved to a full time position in 2022. I graduated from Southwest Wisconsin Technical College with a degree in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement. By starting off in corrections I believe it is a great way to start a journey into Law Enforcement because you learn the building blocks of becoming a good officer or further your career in corrections.

I am excited and honored to be a part of the WJA. I enjoy learning and teaching others about the field. I want to use my time here to bring in new ideas on training for everyone throughout the surrounding counties.

Carrie Videkovich


Washington County

About Carrie

Carrie Videkovich

Being picked to be part of the WJA board is very exciting. During my sixteen years at the Washington County Jail, I have attended many Conferences and have seen the value each one has had for myself and my department. I believe training, being current on trends and arising issues in the field of corrections is very important. I look forward to this opportunity to represent my department and be another voice for our profession.

Jason Mahle


Douglas County

About Jason

Jason Mahle

My name is Jason Mahle and I have been a Correctional Officer with the Douglas County jail since June of 2018. I am a member of the Douglas County CERT team, a founding member of the newly created Employee Peer Support Team and a Field Training Officer (FTO). I have been attending the WJA spring conferences for the last 3 years and have enjoyed the whole experience. Learning from the speakers to meeting other Jail staff from other counties.


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