Personal Information

Sheriff Cantrell was raised on a farm, along with his two sisters, Kim and Connie, in rural West Fork, Arkansas, where his mom, Irene, raised chickens and was known from far and wide as a great cook and an excellent quilter. His dad, Floyd “Headman”, worked for Ozarks Electric Cooperative until his retirement after 37 years of service. Sheriff Cantrell still resides just down the road from his childhood home. He and his wife, Kelly, have been married for 35 years, and they have 4 great kids, Clayton, Baylea, James and Jordan. His grandparents were also lifelong residents of rural Washington County. Samuel and Effie Hays worked their farm on Winn Creek and raised 10 children. Effie was also a school teacher at several of the one-room schools in rural Washington County, including Sycamore. Jona and Nellie Cantrell raised 2 children. Jona retired from Ozarks Electric Cooperative, then went on to serve as Washington County Tax Collector for 10 years. Nellie worked at The Garment Factory for a time and was a homemaker.

Sheriff Cantrell began his life in public service at the age of 17 when he was a senior in high school and began driving the school bus for West Fork Schools. He lived at the end of the bus route, so he would get up at 5:00 a.m. and get the bus ready to start his route, then attended his classes during the day, and drove the kids back home after school. He also volunteered at the West Fork Fire Department in his spare time.

Dedication to his community has always been at the forefront of his life. In 1985, he saw a need for fire protection in the Strickler area in southern Washington County, and started going to key community members, sending out informational flyers, and scheduling community meetings to discuss establishing a rural fire department in the community. He was a charter member of the Strickler Volunteer Fire Department, created in 1986.

Sheriff Cantrell began his law enforcement career in July of 1981 when Washington County Sheriff Bud Dennis hired him at the age of 21 to work in the jail. Then in February of 1982, he attended the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in Camden, Arkansas and upon graduation, began work as a patrol deputy. He has risen through the ranks, serving the citizens of Washington County with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office since that time. In 1988 he was promoted to Sergeant, in March of 1996 to Lieutenant, in July of 1996 to Captain, and in January 2005 he was promoted to Chief Deputy by Sheriff Tim Helder, where he served for 18 years. Upon Sheriff Helder’s retirement, Sheriff Cantrell, after 41 years with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, entered the race for Sheriff. He was subsequently elected, and took his oath of office just after midnight on January 1, 2023.

During his years of law enforcement, Sheriff Cantrell has attended some of the most prestigious training available. Probably the most notable being the FBI National Academy, a 10-week training course for police administrators from across the globe.

Sheriff Cantrell looks forward to continuing to serve the citizens of Washington County and his fellow Sheriff’s Office employees with a servant’s heart and commitment to his community.