Undersheriff Shea named sheriff

Elizabeth Brewer, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
·1 min read

Aug. 23—TRAVERSE CITY — Current undersheriff Michael Shea was unanimously chosen to be Grand Traverse County's new sheriff.

He will serve in this role starting on Sept. 4, until the next election cycle in 2024, when he will be required to run for office.

On Wednesday evening, the Statutory Appointment Committee interviewed Shea and applicant Charles Jetter before making their final decision. At the end of the meeting, Shea was sworn into office by Probate Court judge and committee member Jennifer Whitten.

State law mandates that the committee to choose the sheriff's replacement must consist of the county clerk, the lead prosecuting attorney and the probate division judge. For Grand Traverse County, that means Whitten was joined by Noelle Moeggenberg and county clerk Bonnie Scheele.

They asked Shea and Jetter a total of 10 questions, making each interview slightly more than 30 minutes long.

Current sheriff Tom Bensley, and former detective bureau captain Randy Fewless were both present for the decision. Bensley announced his retirement from the post several week ago after serving more than three terms in the top spot.

Read more about what happened during the interviews and the selection process in tomorrow's Record-Eagle.