Service Spotlight: Mendi Brandon

When emergency situations arise, a cool head and a calm demeanor are paramount to a public information officer, particularly one working for law enforcement.

Mendi Brandon exemplifies those key characteristics, according to Cleveland County Sheriff Chris Amason, who recently promoted her to the job of spokesperson and media contact for the Sheriff’s Office.

“I used to be very shy and quiet, but from working with this agency and being married to a former law enforcement officer, I’ve developed into this type of person,” Brandon said.

Brandon started with the Sheriff’s Office in August of 2015 as a part-time evidence clerk. Her husband was the captain of the Criminal Investigations Division at that time.

“We just had our fourth child, and I was going to school,” she said, smiling at the memory. “Life was very hectic, and I wanted to put myself back into the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom for 16 years.”

Brandon moved to full-time as a receptionist at the detention center in 2016 and worked her way up through the civilian ranks to serve as quartermaster, where she was eventually promoted to sergeant.

“I’ve been around law enforcement for 20 years so I know how law enforcement works and I know the community,” she said.

Brandon started as the new public information officer on May 1 and has already shown her mettle when asked to photograph a CLEET graduation involving multiple agencies.

“The photographer had an emergency and I was asked that day if I could handle it,” she said.

Sheriff Amason said that kind of flexibility is a must for Brandon’s position.

“She didn’t hesitate when asked to step up,” he said. “She stepped in and got the job done.”

Her new position brings other challenges as well, but Brandon sees those as opportunities for growth.

“I love interacting with people in the agency which my former position allowed me to do, but now I also get to build those relationships outside the Sheriff’s Office, with other agencies and our community,” she said.

Brandon is from Lexington, though she has moved around enough to appreciate Oklahoma and Cleveland County in particular.

“Most of my life has been spent in Cleveland County,” she said. “I look forward to serving the people here in my new capacity.”