OnFocus – When Chief Deputy Randy Dorshorst of the Wood County Sheriff’s Department leaves his office on Tuesday, he will leave behind a decorated career of serving central Wisconsin.
Dorshorst’s career began as a part-time night shift deputy with the department in 1988. From there, his career took twists and turns but he always came back to Wood County as his home.
“There’s been so many memories,” Dorshorst said. “It’s been a wonderful place to work. The people are nice and you get the hometown feeling. The public and the people I work with here are like one big family. Everybody gets along so well here.”
After working two part-time jobs in Pittsville and Wood County, he decided to venture off to Mosinee where he would get his first full-time opportunity. Dorshorst spent 10 years with the City of Mosinee Police Department but eventually came back to the Wood County Sheriff’s Department in 2000.
Dorshorst said the family-like atmosphere at Wood County was the right fit for him as he started to raise a family of his own.
“You come in on a Monday and people are saying, ‘Hey, how was your weekend?'”, Dorshorst said. “We talk about getting together for different things. The old saying is the grass is always greener on the other side, well I found out it was greener. I came over here and from day one here I’ve never had a day where I thought I wish I wouldn’t have came here. The community is just outstanding.”
Dorshorst would spend the next 21 years wearing multiple hats. His titles included: Patrol Deputy, Patrol Sergeant, Investigator-Sergeant, Investigative Lieutenant, Special Response Team Sniper, Firearms Instructor and Armorer, Boat Safety Instructor, Fleet Administrator, and Field Training Officer. In 2010, he settled on the position of Chief Deputy and has held that title ever since.
The Sherri resident said his work at Wood County allowed him to raise his family in a wonderful place and said he can’t remember ever having a bad experience.
“I’m so happy for Wood County for providing such a good place to work and being such a great place to raise my family,” Dorshorst said. “It provided a great career for me and I’ve got nothing that I can look back on and say I’ve had a bad moment here, it’s all been very good.”
Dorshorst said what he will miss the most is coming into the office and seeing everyone’s faces.
“Getting towards the end here, I’ve got like 2-4 days left and I’m thinking, jeez I’m going to miss coming in here,” Dorshorst said. “When your birthday comes up, everybody remembers it. Wood County being a rural area, the public has been so supportive there.”
In retirement, Randy plans to take time off to get things done around the house but would eventually like to travel a bit. He said he would like to visit his son in Virginia periodically and hopes to relax in retirement.
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Author: News Desk
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