CLARK COUNTY, Ill. – A longtime law enforcement officer in Clark County, Ill retired Friday.

After more than 30-years of service Clark County Sheriff Jerry Parsley stepped down.

A special ceremony was held at Harmony Hall in Marshal.

Bill Brown will succeed Parsley as sheriff of Clark County.

A Facebook post from the Clark County Sheriff’s office is below:

 

Today, we, the employees of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, say a bittersweet “Thank You” to our current leader, Sheriff Jerry Parsley. Today is his last day in command as the Sheriff of this county. For 36 years Sheriff Parsley has been a constant, steady force in the safety of our community and the leadership of our team. In addition to leading our team Sheriff Parsley has trained thousands of law enforcement officers across the county, state and nation, as a peer, a leader, a Sheriff and an Instructor at such places as the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Mobile Training Unit, the University of Illinois Police Training Institute and the Gunsite Academy, a premier firearms training facility in Arizona.
Most of you know Sheriff Parsley, as we do, as more than a Sheriff, as more than a police officer or assistant fire chief. Most of us know Sheriff Parsley as “Jerry”, a son, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a mentor, a shoulder to lean on, a listening ear, a voice of stability and reason, and most importantly as a friend. We must say that again, AS A FRIEND. We take a moment to allow that to digest. Not many can wear all those hats of authority, carry all the weight of those positions, continue to provide unparalleled leadership and manage to do all those to the best of his ability and still be a friend. That is the epitome of leadership. We could have paragraphs of accomplishments and each of those are worthy of individual pride, however we know Jerry takes the most pride in being a friend, in doing the right thing and making the right decisions. It is a strong personal sense of pride in knowing most of his difficult decisions helped make the lives of someone else better. As we went about our daily lives over the last 36 years we know and have seen that most waking moments for Jerry involved him weighing and contemplating very difficult decisions. We proudly stand up and say thank you for your service to us. Thank you for being more than our Sheriff. Thank you for being there for us, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
Over the years he has assembled a dedicated team, trained and mentored us and is leaving his Office in the hands of the dedicated men and women that he has mostly personally handpicked and trained. His law enforcement legacy will live on in the professions of so many other officers in which he helped mold, including his close friendship and leadership in his Deputy, and now his peer, Clark County’s newest elected leader, Sheriff Bill Brown.
No thank you would be complete without also thanking his family for sharing him with our community. For 36 years his family, Sheri Parsley,Kayla Parsley-Sanders, and Patrick Parsley have grown to know that as much as they count on him for guidance that thousands of others also depend on his leadership. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your family.
Please like. Please Share. Please comment. We invite you to come by and visit Sheriff Parsley at his retirement Open House being held today, November 30th at Harlan Hall from 5pm to 7pm.
Sheriff Parsley, THANK YOU, we salute you and your service and wish you the best retirement possible.

— at Harlan Hall.