CULLMAN, Ala. – Cullman County Sheriff’s Office Director of Communications Lt. Chad Whaley, who has nearly three decades of law enforcement experience, announced his candidacy for sheriff Thursday morning.
Whaley said a lot of thought, discussion and a tremendous amount of prayer have gone into his decision to run for sheriff of Cullman County.
“Over the past 26-plus years, my career seems to have pointed me in this very direction,” Whaley said. “In hindsight, seemingly every step of my career has helped prepare me to take this next step. I could not be more excited for the next chapter of my career.“
He said his first nine years working in the jail and then on patrol helped lay the foundation for his future.
“The next 12 years as a school resource officer expanded my career exponentially,” Whaley said. “Protecting the kids of this great county became my passion – my life. Our children will always be our greatest asset. From teaching in the classroom to protecting them at the school, it was without a doubt my calling.”
Over the past 25 years, Whaley has trained hundreds of law enforcement officers as a defensive tactics instructor, as well as an active shooter response instructor for law enforcement.
“This training has not only been for members of the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office, but for several agencies across the state,” Whaley said. “At the same time, I was also able to expand my role as an instructor to the general public. I have trained thousands of citizens as a church safety instructor, an active shooter instructor, women’s self-defense instructor, Citizens’ Academy and Sheriff’s Youth Leadership Coordinator, and firearms safety instructor. Schools, churches, businesses and any other gathering willing to listen to me, became havens for my presentations. I made it my mission to help, teach and protect as many of our citizens as I possibly could.”
Since 2020, he took on a new role as a member of Sheriff Matt Gentry’s command staff.
“As the director of communications, media and public relations have fallen to me,” Whaley shared. “I have also been tasked as the training coordinator, where I am responsible for ensuring our deputies are some of the most highly trained law enforcement officers in the state. This includes locating and scheduling the necessary training, as well as managing the training budget. I have also continued to teach and instruct at every opportunity given to me.
“Most importantly, for more than a decade, I have had the pleasure of working hand in hand with Sheriff Matt Gentry. I believe in the path that Sheriff Gentry has put the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office on, and I plan to keep the CCSO on the right course. The relationships with the community, the schools – the citizens, are what makes the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office, and all of Cullman County, so unique and special. I have every intention of not only maintaining those relationships, but growing them. Leading a highly trained, dedicated and motivated sheriff’s office paired with unrivaled support from the community will help to ensure that Cullman County remains the greatest county in all of Alabama.”
The Cullman County sheriff’s race will be part of the Primary Election held May 19, 2026, with the General Election slated for Nov. 3, 2026. Gentry will remain in office until January 2027.
