After working with the Iowa Department of Public Safety since 1984, Duane Rozendaal will further his Jasper County roots come Jan. 4 as the county’s next Chief Deputy Sheriff.

Rozendaal originally hails from Sully and, after moving everywhere from Iowa City to Grinnell to Searsboro with his family for work with the Iowa State Patrol, returned to the town in 2010. 

“I had an opportunity to change State Patrol districts to Des Moines and be assigned to Jasper County,” Rozendaal said of this first step in reconnecting with his hometown. “While working in the more rural counties, I enjoyed working closely with the local sheriff’s offices and police departments. As it was in Poweshiek County, I began building relationships with the officers at the (Jasper County) Sheriff’s office and other local police departments. In the smaller areas you need to rely on officers from other departments for backup.”