Over the course of his career, service and leadership have been common threads for Buck Robertson, a Deputy Sheriff Sergeant with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
At age 17, Robertson enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he eventually became a Sergeant and served during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. During his service, he mentored Marines to ensure the effectiveness of the platoon. He also assessed training needs and analyzed violations of the organizational code of conduct.
After Robertson completed his military service in 2002, he embarked upon his education by earning his Associate’s degree in Criminal Justice/Police Science from Waukesha County Technical College. During this time, he applied his leadership and mentoring skills to serving as a Youth Counselor for the Oconomowoc Developmental Training Center, where he provided support to children and adolescents with neurological, emotional, and developmental disabilities. The support included assistance with daily living skills and learning activities.
Robertson began working at the Washington County Sherriff Office in 2005. By 2013, he finished his Bachelors of Applied Studies in Leadership and Organizational Studies at UW-Oshkosh and began to look toward the next steps in his education and his career.
Robertson was looking to further his leadership skills. He had already completed a three-week leadership program, and the Organizational Change Leadership program at UW-Platteville fit his needs. “Leadership has always been interesting to me. OCL is along a similar path to an MBA, but instead of focusing on management style, OCL focuses on leadership,” Robertson said. “The skills transfer very well to dealing with people and getting the best out of people that I lead.”
Robertson earned his degree in the summer of 2018. He credits the flexibility of UW-Platteville’s online courses with helping him achieve his goals. “UW-Platteville is a great school to work with if you are working full-time and have a family. I have taken one class every semester, and every instructor has been accommodating. They set you up to succeed.”