Service Spotlight: Chief Deputy Julie Tipton

Chief Deputy Julie Tipton is known for her big smile, perpetually positive attitude and dynamic leadership. To those who work under her at the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, it was no surprise when the Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Association honored Tipton as the 2020 Jail Administrator of the Year.

“It was very humbling,” Tipton said. “I was very appreciative even though I didn’t feel like I was the one who did the work. It was my team. I accepted that award for my team, not just for me.”

Tipton’s life and career experiences came together to make her the perfect fit for the job, Sheriff Chris Amason said.

“She spent 12 years working her way up as a member of the Cleveland County Detention staff, starting as a receptionist before joining the ranks of commissioned officers,” Amason said. “She knows that detention center from top to bottom, and she has done a terrific job during some very challenging circumstances.”

Tipton understands the value of teamwork. She was a student athlete, playing softball and basketball, and still enjoys playing with the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office softball team when they suit up for First Responder Games.

Starting at the sheriff’s office in 2008, Tipton quickly advanced as her supervisors saw she could be trusted with more responsibility. Soon she was supervising others.

“I’ve had several mentors, and I’ve taken things I like from each one of them to build my leadership role,” Tipton said.

By 2017, she had advanced to administrative captain where she served as part of the command staff leadership team at the detention center.

“My whole career, I just felt like I wanted to keep building and obtain more knowledge,” she said. “That allowed me to pursue more opportunities at the sheriff’s office, but I also remember what it feels like to be at the bottom and how my decisions affect frontline employees. I couldn’t do the things I do without the people here.”

In April 2020, Tipton was promoted to chief deputy, taking the reins as jail administrator in the middle of a global pandemic.

“I knew my leadership in this new role would create stability for our people,” she said. “I had been their captain, and they needed that consistency.”

COVID-19 presented challenges unlike any she had faced during her tenure with the sheriff’s office, but Tipton and her team embraced best practices to keep the jail environment safe.

“We were in the middle of the pandemic and walking into the unknown — nobody knew anything about COVID or what precautions we needed to take so we took extra precautions to protect staff and inmates,” she said.

Following November’s election, Chris Amason took the helm of the agency.

“Sheriff Amason came out and talked during our briefings, and he talked about our mission, vision and values and how that is the foundation for what we’re doing,” Tipton said. “That determines our direction. We want to be the best in the state and to be innovative in all that we’re doing. We have big plans for this place.”

While the pandemic changed many things, those core values continue to give stability and direction, she said. Tipton encourages anyone looking for a career in law enforcement or simply looking for a good job with good pay, great benefits and a chance to advance to consider working for the Cleveland County Detention Center.

“We are looking to promote from within and invest in our people here at the detention center,” she said. “We have our basic four weeks of the detention academy, but we are also partnering with Moore Norman Technology Center to provide curriculum for ongoing training opportunities.

“I’m really excited to be working under the experienced leadership of Sheriff Amason. I feel like we’ve built a great command staff team,” she added.