Marion County

Joe Kast was appointed to his first term as Marion County Sheriff in July 2019. His prior experience includes more than 27 years in public safety and he most recently served as the Enforcement Commander at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Kast’s experience encompasses a broad range of public safety services including patrol, investigations, recruitment and training, internal affairs, public information, and jail administration lieutenant, jail medical lieutenant, as well as other areas.

During his career he has overseen the addition of public safety services in the East Salem Service District; supervised Sublimity, Jefferson, and Chemawa Indian School contracts; he was a K9 handler on patrol, and he was on SWAT for 19 years, including 6 years as the Marion County Interagency SWAT Commander.

Sheriff Kast is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and served during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He holds a Supervisory Certificate from the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. His community boards include the Marion County Children & Families Commission and the Boys & Girls Club, and the Marion County Public Safety Coordinating Council.

Sheriff Kast is a native Oregonian and he grew up in Lane County prior to going into the Air Force. He has lived in Sublimity and Keizer and his family now makes their home in Salem. His hobbies and interest include many outdoor activities, such as hiking, hunting, fishing and other family events.