Brown County Sheriff John Merchant was recognized as the Kansas Sheriff’s Association “Sheriff of the Year.”

Merchant received the award during a ceremony held at the Kansas Sheriff’s Association annual convention in Wichita on November 12.

“It’s always been a team effort at the Sheriff’s Office, I am fortunate to have a great bunch of guys and gals who take pride in what they do for the citizens of Brown County every day,” Merchant said. “None of this is possible without their hard work and dedication.”

Merchant has served the people of Brown County as Sheriff since March of 2008.

He was selected from a pool of nominees based on his personal and professional accomplishments while holding the office of Sheriff of Brown County. The department said one of those accomplishments is “The Teen Lifesaver Initiative”, a program designed by Sheriff Merchant with the goal of certifying every high school student in Brown County in basic First Aid, CPR, and proper use of the AED (Automated External Defibrillator). To date Merchant and his team comprised of Brown County Deputies, Horton Police Chief John Calhoon, and County Health nurse Karla Harter have certified 481 students, faculty, and others who work closely with the school districts in Brown County.