Sheriff Gese, 4 KCSO leadership members resigning June 26

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, June 9, 2026

After previously announcing he would be retiring at the end of his term this year, Kitsap County Sheriff John Gese and four other members of the department’s leadership team will be resigning June 26, a statement from the sheriff says.

Those who are departing alongside Gese are Undersheriff Russ Clithero, Chief of Detectives and Support Services Lissa Gundrum, Chief of Patrol Chad Birkenfeld, and Finance Manager Wendy Dutenhoeffer. The sheriff said Clithero, Gundrum, and Birkenfield are retiring due to a pension program that provides financial incentive to retire by the end of June, while Dutenhoeffer is leaving for a job out of state.

Additionally, Gese said that KCSO Sergeant Brandon Myers, who is the Democratic candidate running for Kitsap County Sheriff, will be promoted to Patrol Chief.

“The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office is facing important challenges in the months ahead, including navigating a difficult budget process and addressing ongoing financial considerations. These decisions will shape the future of our organization, and I am confident that our emerging and next generation of leaders are well-positioned to address these challenges and help shape the future of the organization. As the leaders who will guide the agency in the years ahead, it is important that they have a leading role in making these decisions and charting the path forward,” Gese said.

The Kitsap County Board of Commissioners has requested verification of the resignations of the four staff members other than Gese, along with succession plans from the department. The commissioners also initiated the constitutionally required process for the appointment of an interim sheriff by contacting the Kitsap County Democratic Party, which will nominate three candidates in the coming weeks. The commissioners will then select the interim sheriff from the pool of candidates.

“First and foremost, the Board of County Commissioners cares very deeply about the well-being of the county’s public safety staff and prioritizes the public safety of our community,” said District 2 Commissioner and board chair Oran Root.

In 2025, the Kitsap commissioners approved 3% budget cuts across all departments, which was roughly $1.7 million for the sheriff’s office, as it’s the largest county department. Gese, who was elected as a Democrat in 2022 and was first appointed as sheriff in 2021 following Gary Simpson’s retirement, criticized the cuts and the potential negative impacts they would have on many aspects of the department, such as staffing.

Three community meetings to discuss the county’s budget shortfalls and possible solutions will be held June 17 (6:30 p.m. at North Kitsap Fire & Rescue headquarters, 26642 Miller Bay Road NE, Kingston), June 18 (6:30 p.m. at Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue’s administration building, 5300 NW Newberry Hill Road, Silverdale) and June 22 (6:30 p.m. at the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners chambers, 619 Division Street, Port Orchard). Gese is expected to attend the meetings alongside the Kitsap commissioners and county Prosecutor Chad Enright.

Myers and Republican Rick Kuss have filed for Kitsap County Sheriff and will face off in November’s general election unless a write-in candidate receives enough votes in the August primary. Myers has been with the department for 23 years and Kuss is a Deputy Sheriff with the King County Sheriff’s Office and previously ran against Gese in 2022.

“I have seen speculation and assumptions about what led to today’s announcement,” Myers said in a statement on his Facebook page June 8. “I can only speak for myself: I did not know these decisions were coming, and today’s announcement was a shock. While others may choose to turn this into a political debate, my focus remains on the employees of the sheriff’s office and the people we serve.”

Kuss also released a statement on his Facebook page June 9 and questioned the politics behind Gese’s decision to retire early.

“The Patrol Division is the largest and most critical operational component of the sheriff’s office,” Kuss stated. “Promoting a Detective Sergeant directly into the Chief of Patrol position and then immediately positioning that individual for consideration as interim sheriff raises serious questions about whether succession politics are being prioritized over public safety and operational experience.”