A career spanning more than 28 years has come to a close, as Undersheriff Tom Buckley has retired from the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office. During his career, Buckley worked his way from the ground up. He was hired as a dispatcher by former Sheriff Dan Lane in July of 1990. He was promoted to road patrol deputy in April of 1993. In 2003, Buckley was promoted to sergeant and in 2008 he achieved the rank of lieutenant. His final promotion was his appointment as Undersheriff by Sheriff Tim Donnellon in January of 2009. During his career, Buckley worked several stints in the Drug Task Force, both as a deputy and a sergeant. He was also a member of the Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team as a deputy, sergeant and finally as commander of the unit as lieutenant. Tom also is a 2014 graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy. “I worked with Tom almost my entire career, so when I decided to appoint him Undersheriff, I knew the skill set he had,” said Sheriff Donnellon. “With that said, he exceeded all expectations I had for him in handling one of, if not the most difficult jobs in our entire organization. Tom is leaving our department in better shape than he found it. He will be missed, not only by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office, but by the entire first responder community throughout our area and the state.” Buckley has accepted a position with the Michigan State Gaming Commission. Sheriff Donnellon has appointed Matthew Paulus as the new Undersheriff. Paulus retired as a captain from the Sheriff’s Office in January of 2017.
