Buhnerkempe Promoted to Chief Deputy Sheriff

Effingham County Sheriff Paul Kuhns has announced the promotion of Lieutenant Travis Buhnerkempe to Chief Deputy

In his new position, Chief Buhnerkempe will act as the Sheriff’s Office Chief Executive Officer, tasked with implementing the goals and strategic objectives of the Office by working with the Department Heads and staff of the organization. He will serve as the head of the organization in the Sheriff’s absence, and he will serve as the senior member of the Sheriff’s Command Staff.

Buhnerkempe began his career at the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office in 2006, when he was hired as a Patrol Deputy. He was promoted to Patrol Corporal in 2016, Patrol Sergeant in 2019, and to Lieutenant in 2021. He has also served in several leadership and instructor roles in the office, and is a former K-9 Handler and Field Training Officer.

Chief Buhnerkempe is a 2004 graduate of Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Arts in Administration of Justice and a 2006 Graduate of the University of Illinois Police Training Institute's Basic Law Enforcement Academy. He is also a 2021 graduate of the Northwestern University Police Staff and Command program. Travis and his family reside in rural Effingham County.

Sheriff Kuhns said, “We are very lucky to have Travis serving here in Effingham County. He is smart, diligent, and a hard worker. He has been a great asset to the Sheriff’s Office and I’m sure he will continue to prove himself here."