County to consider sheriff appointment

Angelina County Commissioners may name a new sheriff Tuesday during the 10 a.m. commissioners' court meeting.

Sheriff Greg Sanches retired at the end of 2022 with two years left in his term. He won reelection in 2020 against Bryan Holley, who is one of three applicants for his now vacant seat. The other applicants are sheriff’s office chief deputy Mark McLin and Pct. 1 Constable Tom Selman.

The court will enter into a closed meeting at the end of the meeting to interview all three applicants. County Judge Keith Wright said he believes the court will make a decision Tuesday but said unforeseeable circumstances could delay it.

Wright provided copies of each applicant’s resume to The Lufkin Daily News.

Mark McLin

McLin has served in the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office since 2010 and has held multiple positions in his tenure. He was a narcotics investigator, criminal investigator, patrol sergeant, patrol lieutenant, criminal investigation division lieutenant and chief deputy, according to his resume.

In his time working for the county, he has overseen office management and planned and monitored nearly $10 million in division budgets. He has supervised departments and managed payroll, scheduling and approved reports. He has organized and participated in raids and arrests, testified in court and coordinated with outside agencies.

His experience in law enforcement did not begin with the sheriff’s office, however. He also reported two years of work with DYN Corp International, out of Fort Worth. In that role, he was the forward operating base commander and international police advisor.

McLin worked a four year stint with the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office as a criminal investigator from 2004 to 2008 following two years at the Zavalla Police Department, which was his first law enforcement job.

He holds a Master Peace Officer certification.

Bryan Holley

Holley has served as a district police officer since 2013 with Hudson ISD, where he has maintained school safety while also teaching about law enforcement.

Prior to his work with the district, Holley served for several years at the sheriff’s office in multiple positions. He started as the sergeant patrol deputy and mental health liaison in 2005 and was named patrol lieutenant in 2008 while retaining his position as mental health liaison. In 2012, he was named senior patrol lieutenant.

From 2004-05 Holley, was an international police officer/advisor in Liberia for the U.S. State Department, United Nations and DynCorp International. He served as chief of the international joint task force patrol division and was in the operations division with the international police, the civil rights division in the Monrovia Region and was floor master and a part of the trafficking persons unit.

From 1997 to 2004, he worked for the sheriff’s office as a lieutenant, sergeant and patrol deputy. He was a deputy constable for five years and a correctional officer for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for 10 years. Five years in the latter two positions overlapped.

He holds a Master Peace Officer certification and is a TCOLE Instructor.

Tom Selman

Since 2005, Selman has served as constable of Precinct 1, where he operates as a law enforcement officer, supports the justice of the peace and handles civil processes.

From 1997 to 2012, he was the director of petroleum operations and a general manager for Brookshire Brothers and Polk Oil Company in Lufkin. As general manager of Polk Oil, he oversaw wholesale and retail fuel sales, transportation, facility and equipment maintenance, card-lock fuel operations and independent dealer stations. As director of petroleum operations, he oversaw all facets of the petroleum division at Brookshire Brothers.

From 1987 to 1998, he was a general manager for the Okay Food Company, or Land O’ Pines Dairy in Lufkin. And prior to that, he was a trooper for the Texas Department of Public Safety, where he was stationed in Angelina County and was promoted to Trooper II before departing.

He served the Diboll Police Department as an officer from July 1978 to December 1979 under Chief Dewey Wolf and was a deputy and dispatcher/jailer for the county from 1977 to 1978.

He holds a Master Peace Officer certification.