PARIS — Waldo County Sheriff Office’s Detective Zane Loper is returning home to be Oxford County’s next county administrator starting Aug. 19.

South Paris resident and current Waldo County Sheriff Office’s Detective Zane Loper is coming back home to be Oxford County’s next county administrator starting Aug. 19. Evan W. Houk/Advertiser Democrat

Oxford County commissioners approved Loper’s annual salary of $104,470.11 during a regular meeting July 23. He will have a six-month probation period.

During a workshop Thursday, commissioners “slightly shifted” a policy to accommodate a vacation request from Loper, officially bringing him onboard, according to Executive Assistant Abby Shanor.

Last November, Shanor began serving as the interim county administrator after the unexpected death of Donald Durrah, who formerly held the position.

Loper grew up on Paris Hill and is excited to get to work, already prepared for the challenges of the post.

“I think it’s a really great way to serve Oxford County,” he said. “I think Oxford County is a growing county. I want to be involved in that and help out and make that growth positive.”

Loper is a veteran of law enforcement in the area — spending time with the Paris and Oxford police departments, as well as the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office, in various roles.

The South Paris resident said he is excited to return home full time, as he was splitting his time between Waldo County and the Oxford Hills area working for the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office the past nine months.

“I can’t say anything but great things about Waldo County,” Loper said. “This is just an opportunity for me to come back here.”

Both his parents were longtime teachers in the area. Because of this and his time in local law enforcement, Loper said he believes he is fairly well-known to people in Oxford County.

“I think that’s important going into this position,” he said. “Being grounded in the community, being able to know families and the people that live in the area helps with communication.”

One thing Loper learned during his law enforcement career is that communication is key. He said the job involves giving a lot to the community, but is ultimately rewarding.

“More people appreciated me than didn’t appreciate me,” Loper said. “And that’s always the nice part about it.”

Since high school, Loper has seen law enforcement as a unique way to help the community. After attending West Chester University in Pennsylvania for criminal justice and public administration, Loper returned to Oxford Hills to start his police career in 1992.

During his time at the Paris Police Department, he was an agent for the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency for nearly 10 years as well as a detective. He also served as a school resource officer there.

Loper eventually retired from the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office as a patrol deputy, but came back to work after being offered the detective position in Waldo County.

In his spare time, Loper enjoys woodworking and helping friends or family with construction projects. He helped his daughter build her house and made wooden American flags that he contributed to an auction.

One of the reasons Loper enjoyed law enforcement is that there are new challenges constantly, and he looks forward to taking on new challenges in his new position as county administrator.

“I see it all as a challenge,” Loper said. “There’s a lot going on up there.”