Chief Deputy N.Z. “Zeb” Wiseman has been successful throughout his 35-year law enforcement career. Chief Wiseman grew up in Salisbury, NC and graduated in 1976 from North Rowan High School in Spencer, NC where he was a three-sport athlete. He signed a football scholarship to Gardner-Webb University where he became an All-Conference, All NAIA District 26 selection, an NAIA honorable mention All-American, and an Associated Press Little College honorable mention All-American in football. He became a student assistant football coach in 1980.

Chief Wiseman was employed by the NC Department of Corrections in 1980 and worked at Piedmont Correctional Center in Salisbury, N.C.  In 1981, Chief Wiseman was employed by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP). He graduated from both the NCSHP 69^th Basic School in 1981 and from the 71^st NCSHP Basic School in 1983. He was initially assigned to NCSHP Troop C, District 6 in Smithfield until 1982 when he was assigned to NCSHP Troop D, District 2 in Greensboro. Chief Wiseman held several different positions throughout his career with the NCSHP. He was a member of the Mobile Field Force and Executive Protection Unit. He also assisted the Secret Service and worked as a Field Training Officer and Driver Training Instructor. Chief Wiseman retired as a Master Trooper in 2010.

Chief Wiseman has received certificates from the North Carolina Criminal Justice Training and Standards Division and the North Carolina Sheriff’s Standards Division. Chief Wiseman is a Certified Internal Affairs Investigator by the Public Safety Internal Affairs Institute. He is also a Certified Investigator for Jails and Corrections by the Legal and Liability Risk Management Institute. He has completed the North Carolina Internal Affairs Investigator’s Course and is a member of the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association.

Chief Wiseman was a successful business owner in Greensboro between his NCSHP retirement and his employment with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office. In 2018, he was sworn in and appointed as a 1^st Lieutenant on the Command Staff of Sheriff Danny H. Rogers. He was assigned as Assistant District Commander of District 2. In 2019, he was transferred to the same capacity in District 3. In 2022, he was promoted to Captain and assigned to Professional Standards-Internal Affairs division where he remained until March of 2024. On March 10, 2024, he was promoted to Major over the Support Operations Bureau where he served on the Sheriff’s Executive Command Staff. In December 2024, Chief Wiseman was promoted to Chief Deputy where he now serves as Sheriff’s Executive Command Staff Officer responsible for directing, coordinating, supervising, and training the staff, except in areas reserved for the Sheriff. 

The Chief Deputy frees the Sheriff from routine details and passes pertinent information and insight from the staff to the Sheriff and from the Sheriff to staff. Chief Wiseman serves as the Executive Commander overseeing the Court Services Bureau, Special Operations Division, Personnel and Training Division and Special Projects.

The Chief Deputy must be able to anticipate events or trends that may impact the organization. He must share with the Sheriff a near-identical vision of operations, events, and requirements. Command staff must inform the Chief Deputy of any recommendations or information they pass directly to the Sheriff or instructions they receive directly from the Sheriff.

The Chief Deputy assists the Sheriff in supervising the daily operation of the agency, participates in the planning process for present and future conditions, and assists the divisions in attaining agency goals and mission.