OTTAWA COUNTY — As he prepares to become Ottawa County’s top law enforcement officer, sheriff-elect and current undersheriff Eric DeBoer has named a successor.
DeBoer announced Monday, Dec. 9, that David Kok will become his second-in-command. DeBoer has been undersheriff since March, after the retirement of Valerie Weiss.
Kok has more than 25 years of experience in law enforcement in neighboring Kent County. He’s currently Police and Corrections Academy Director for Grand Rapids Community College, where he oversees training programs for corrections and law enforcement.
“Director Kok’s long history of leadership in the areas of patrol and corrections, his dedication to mentoring new recruits through both the corrections and police academies, and his experience leading an agency with similar values through times of agency growth make him a perfect choice for the position of undersheriff,” DeBoer wrote in a release.
David Kok
“I am very excited to bring his thoughts and ideas into our conversations about what the future holds.”
Prior to his current role, Kok spent 25 years with the Kent County Sheriff’s Office. He was chief deputy of the department’s corrections division from December 2018 to November 2021. Other roles included road patrol captain, community services lieutenant and community policing sergeant.
Kok holds a bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University in criminal justice and police science. He’s also completed advanced leadership programs like the FBI National Academy and the School of Staff and Command at Michigan State University.
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DeBoer will take over as sheriff at the start of the new year. He defeated fellow GOP candidate Jon Anderson in August, then bested write-in candidate Gregory Poulson in November. Sheriff Steve Kempker did not seek re-election.
DeBoer started his career as a reserve deputy in 1999. He became a road patrol deputy in 2001, was promoted to detective in 2014, then to road patrol sergeant in 2022.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Eric DeBoer names David Kok next undersheriff of Ottawa County