by Dennis Dalman
Stearns County now has a new chief deputy – Jon Lentz.
He was recently appointed by interim Stearns County Sheriff Don Gudmundson.
“The sheriff’s office has a lot of things to accomplish in my 19 months as interim sheriff, and it made sense to me to promote an inside candidate who knows the issues, personalities and the citizens of Stearns County to be the next chief deputy,” Gudmundson stated in a press release.
Lentz began his work with the sheriff’s office in 1991 as a correctional officer. He was named a deputy sheriff in 1997, promoted to sergeant in 2003, to lieutenant in 2007 and to captain in 2016. As captain, he was in charge of the Patrol and Investigation Division.
Lentz lives in St. Cloud, is married and has two children. His wife, Lori, teaches at Prince of Peace Lutheran School in St. Cloud. Lentz holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from St. Cloud State University.
He serves as a deacon with Trinity Lutheran Church, Sauk Rapids. He is on the Good Shepherd Lutheran Home’s board of directors, Sauk Rapids; and he is current vice president of the Apollo Volleyball Booster Club.