Incoming sheriff assembles leadership team

Little more than a month before he officially takes over as Flathead County’s lead law officer, Sheriff-elect Brian Heino has announced three new members to his team.

When Heino takes over Jan. 1, 2019, Wayne K. DuBois will be the new undersheriff, Sgt. Nick Salois will be the patrol commander and Sgt. Jeanne Parker will be the detective commander. With more than a combined half-century of time on the job, the trio brings a wealth of experience to the department.

“They bring a great deal of experience and forward-thinking to the department,” Heino said.

DuBois was one of three candidates Heino interviewed for the undersheriff position. His experience working in a rapidly growing area set him apart, as well as his relationship with lawmen from the Sheriff’s Office and Kalispell Police Department that began at a SWAT training conference in Helena a decade ago.

“Wayne was with the Richland, Washington, department when the Tri-Cities was really growing rapidly, so he had a lot of good input on how to be prepared for the growth and everything that comes with it, which includes more crime as well as service calls,” Heino said.

DuBois was a member of the Richland Police Department from 2004 to 2018. During that time, he rose from being a patrol officer to a sergeant who served as a patrol and street-crimes supervisor. DuBois was the leader of the Tri-City Regional SWAT team. Before that, he was a member of the Benton County Sheriff’s Department, working as a deputy and a detective. DuBois is also the western regional director of the National Tactical Officers Association.

In 2017 DuBois opened a tactical consulting company aimed at training law enforcement tactical teams.

“Getting to know the guys from here, I knew they were really good people and I could tell that they get it,” DuBois said. “Because of knowing Brian, I have a lot of faith and trust in him and I believe we can do good things here.”

Salois has been with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office for 15 years and was a patrol commander in the past. He first joined the department as a reserve deputy at the end of 2002 before becoming a full-time officer in early 2003.

“Nick has been on the street for more than a decade and he is well-respected,” Heino said.

Parker has been with the department since 1999 and in law enforcement for more than 20 years. She specializes in human-trafficking cases through her work with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

“Jeanne is an excellent asset to us,” Heino said. “We are looking forward to expanding ITEC so we can do more to fight the crimes against children.”

Heino’s goals for the department haven’t changed since he announced his candidacy for sheriff.

“My primary focus is school safety and we want to have an officer back in the schools, which we’ve secured a grant to do,” Heino said. “We also need to work to update our technology. We’re also hoping to build more relationships in the community, which is why we are so pleased to have the Sheriff’s Posse building in Evergreen.”

Heino has been the acting undersheriff since Dave Leib retired earlier in November. He won a four-man race in the June primary election and then was uncontested in the November general election.

Reporter Scott Shindledecker may be reached at 406-758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com.