Chief Deputy Mark Leisten

Chief Deputy Leisten in uniformChief Deputy Mark Leisten joined the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office as Chief Deputy on October 22, 2018. Mark began his law enforcement career in 1996 with the Lawrence, Kansas Police Department.  After completion of the academy, he was assigned to the patrol division serving on all patrol shifts. 

During his more than 22 years at the Lawrence Police Department, Mark most recently served as the midnight shift supervisor, where he has also served on the Crisis Response Team for 10 years as well as the Traffic Safety Unit.  Mark is an Advanced Accident Reconstructionist, emergency vehicle operator instructor, as well as the supervisor for the traffic crash reconstruction team. 

As if his Law Enforcement career wasn’t busy enough, Mark joined the United States Army Reserves in 1989 and is still serving today, approaching 31 years in the military.  He enlisted as a flight engineer on the CH-47 Helicopter at New Century, Kansas, reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant when he was selected for a direct commission to 2nd Lieutenant as an Aviation Officer.

Upon his commission, Mark attended flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama.  He has deployed overseas in support of Operation Nobel Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom as a CH-47 Helicopter pilot.  Mark is now a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves currently assigned as a Regional Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer at FEMA Region VII. 

Mark earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Crime and Delinquency from the University of Kansas and has also completed military education courses as both an enlisted soldier and a commissioned officer as well as a graduate from the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in June 2016. 

Mark is an active member of VFW Post #6654. He is married and has two children.