His appointment by a 2-1 vote of the Marion County Commissioners drew heated criticism from backers of his opponent, longtime Undersheriff Greg Olson.
Olson had 30 years with the Sheriff's Department, but County Commissioners Patti Milne and Janet Carlson said they felt it was time for fresh leadership.

Isham's credentials at Salem Police Department were impressive.

While leading Salem's Neighborhood Watch program, it grew in less than two years from 1,900 households to more than 5,000 households. He also helped establish the city's innovative Drug Activity Response Team, which investigates drug house complaints by walking up in uniform, knocking on the door and asking to be let in.

Olson retired from the Sheriff's Department at the end of September, and said he is considering running for sheriff in the November, 2008 general election.

Whether he faces Olson or someone else in that election, Isham has 14 months to prove to voters that he has the right stuff to be sheriff.
We caught up with him late last month for an interview.

Q: Being a sheriff is no easy task. Why did you want this job?

A: Throughout my career, I've always seen things that I thought I could make work better. This is something I've always dreamed about. The successes I've had along the way got me excited about the possibility of doing things at a higher level.

Q: Now that you have the job, what are your top priorities?

A: The first thing I want to do is get to know all the people, and all the functions, in the department. My background has been on the patrol side, but the Sheriff's Department also has the parole and probation section and the jail, and I need to understand these parts of the operation equally well. Each part is vital, and I need to let everybody know that I care about each part.

Q: You're the new kid on the block. What steps are you taking to earn the support of your officers?

A: Like I said, the first step is to get to know them and to let them know that I consider their work important. I need to spend a lot of time out of this office -- asking questions, finding out what's working and what's not working. I want to make sure they know they can talk to me and that I will listen.

Q: What do you see as your major assets that can help you succeed?

A: I think I've always been good at problem solving and working with people. My experiences as a teacher and a law enforcement officer have helped me learn to work with and listen to people. I've got some really incredible people to work with here, so I'm confident we can do a lot of good things for the county.

Q: Are you satisfied with the support you've gotten so far?

A: Absolutely. I couldn't be happier.

Q: You may be facing a popular opponent (longtime Undersheriff Greg Olson) in the election next year. What do you hope to accomplish between now and then to show voters that you deserve the job?

A: I want to establish a new level of trust and awareness so that the people of Marion County will call the Sheriff's Office first when they need help. Whether it's a barking dog or a burglary or a traffic accident, I want them to think of us first -- even if we're not the ones who eventually provide the help they need. I want to show everybody that new ideas and new approaches are a good thing.

Q: You've been credited with revitalizing the Neighborhood Watch program for the Salem Police Department. Would you like to do something like that for the county?

A: That's one of the biggest things I'm looking forward to. The key to a good Neighborhood Watch program is establishing solid relationships with the people in the neighborhoods -- making sure they know that we're going to be there for them, and helping them understand what we need them to do as our partners. That's going to be especially important in the outlying parts of the county, where there's a perception that we don't get out there as much as we should.

Q: Your rise through the ranks at the Salem Police Department has been described as "meteoric." How do you explain it?

A: First of all, I was promoted from patrol officer to corporal after just two years in Salem, but don't forget I already had seven years' experience as a deputy sheriff, so I really had nine years experience.

And, of course, a lot of people are satisfied just doing what's expected and calling it a day. I think I've been able to make a lot of good things happen because I've never been able to stop at the minimum requirement.

Q: Some say you don't have enough experience to lead a department of this size. How do you respond to that?

A: I hear a lot of that "15 years versus 30 years" talk (referring to his law enforcement career compared to that of Greg Olson). But I have experience gained from three different perspectives versus just one (for Olson). I've gained insights by being a school teacher, a sheriff's deputy and Salem police officer. I don't really believe it's a matter of years, but a matter of skills.