Wayne Tennis has been with the Walker Police Department for 24 years, serving the last eight years as chief of police. He filed for election to the office of Cass County sheriff.
Tennis graduated in 1986 from Park High School in Cottage Grove. He attended North Dakota State School of Science and Brainerd Community College, where he recieved an Associate's Degree. He then attended the police academy at Hibbing Community College to complete his skills training.
In 1995, Tennis attended a 13-week K-9 training course in Minneapolis. His K-9 partner was Yari Brin. In 2007, he also attended the Chief Law Enforcement Officer Academy.
In 2002, the Leech Lake Chamber of Commerce selected Tennis as the 2002 Community Champion for his work and involvement throughout the community. In
2005, he received the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Achievement Award for the Great Lakes Region. From May through June 2005, he was the only officer in northern Minnesota to receive this award.
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In 2010, Tennis received the Officer of the Year Award and in September 2010 The Life Saver Award from the North Memorial Ambulance Service.
Tennis' wife, Mary, has been employed since 1988 with the Cass County Sheriff's Office and is currently the jail program coordinator. Tennis has three children, Garrett, Kayla and Samantha, and four grandchildren, Jaden, Dalton, Alissa and James.
Tennis and his wife, Mary, live in the southern half of Cass County in the Backus area.
