About Mark Anderson
Current Windham County Sheriff
Executive Officer, Vernon Division Chief
Administrative and Support Sergeant
Patrol Corporal
School Resource Officer at the Brattleboro Union High School District
Sexual Assault and Severe Child Abuse Investigator for the Southeastern Unit for Special Investigations (SUSI)
Non-lethal use of force instructor and an Oleoresin Capsicum instructor
First deputy sheriff in the State of Vermont to become a Drug Recognition Expert, serving for more than eight years as a DRE.
Currently serving in the Massachusetts Air National Guard
Serves on the I.N.S.P.I.R.E. for Autism Board of Directors
Currently, as the Sheriff of Windham County, Vermont, I am an experienced and engaging leader. With over twenty-one years of experience, it is my desire to continue to serve the people of Windham County as Sheriff. I want to simplify access to emergency services in Windham County, provide 24/7 policing countywide, and leverage modern technology to improve our services.
- Sheriff Mark Anderson, 2026.
Experience
Career History
2019 - Present: Sheriff - Newfane, VT
2016 - 2019: Captain/Chief Deputy - Newfane, VT
2014 - 2016: Lieutenant - Vernon/Newfane, VT
2012 - 2014: Sergeant - Newfane, VT
2009 - 2012: Corporal - Newfane, VT
2008: Investigator - Southeastern Unit for Special Investigation - Brattleboro, VT
2008: School Resource Officer - Brattleboro, VT
2008: Police Officer - Vernon, VT
2007 - 2009: Full-time deputy - Newfane, VT
2004 - 2007: Part-time deputy & dispatcher - Newfane, VT
Education
University of Massachusetts Isenburg School of Business
Bachelor's of Business Administration in Management
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
Homeland Security Leadership Academy
Greenfield Community College
Associates of Arts in Business Administration
Vermont Police Academy
84th Full-Time Basic for Police Professionals
Accomplishments in Office
The Regional Policing project is primarily focused on improving access to policing in rural towns without police departments by accomplishing two things: Identifying how to govern regional policing and then identifying how to fund it. In 2022, Sheriff Anderson commissioned this project with the goal of improving current systems, educating the public on what is being done and what can be done. In 2026, a pilot program was launched with the approval of the Vermont Legislature and the Governor.
Recognizing a gap in services for rural towns, our office created a regional animal control officer that currently services Dummerston, Guilford, Putney, Newfane, Westminster, and Windham. Our regional animal control officer is responsible for handling animals at large, vicious animals, registration requirements and quarantine requirements. In addition, we support towns and their law enforcement agencies performing animal cruelty investigations.
"The Windham County Sheriff's Office is involved in a variety of targeted enforcement activities, funded through a variety of grants. This includes patrol efforts in cooperation with the Governor's Highway Safety Program to combat impaired driving, distracted driving and encourage occupant protection use; enforcement of snowmobile laws on VAST trails; educating new drivers as an enhancement to driver's education programs and more."
Governor Highway Safety Program
The Windham County Sheriff's Advisory is a group of community members charged with providing community perspective, blind spots, and feedback to the Sheriff's Office. In Vermont, county governments lack a legislative body that serves this function in local or state governments. The Advisory meets to discuss policy, operations, and needs of the communities within Windham County.
With the advent of prescription medication, the topic of disposal comes to mind frequently. Many people are concerned about the drugs ending up on the streets or in the soil and groundwater around us. The Drug Take-Back is a national program to safely dispose of prescription medications.
Windham County has been awarded $1,100,000 in a Lead Hazard Reduction Capacity Building Grant to build a program that can apply for a lead hazard control grant in 2027. The program will build capacity to determine the prevalence of childhood poisoning, identify and train local contractors to address lead hazards, and create a strategy to incorporate lead hazard control into existing and future housing repair programs.