Meet Eckelberry from the LCC Class of 2025
Morgan E. Eckelberry is a Coshocton County resident, who was born in Mt. Gilead, but raised in Plainfield and West Lafayette. A 1988 graduate of Ridgewood High School, Eckelberry attended Plainfield Elementary followed by Ridgewood Junior High School. While in high school, Eckelberry participated in the OWA/OWE programs. He admits he “did not like school” and “always knew he wanted to be in law enforcement” like his dad.
After High School, Eckelberry joined the US Army and served from 1988-1991. He was stationed at Ft. Ord, Ca, where he was a light infantryman, and a mortarman. During his time in the military, a new type of training was instituted wherein each “cohort unit” trained together and moved stations together. He found that this style of training built cohesiveness within his team and unit. Following Sept. 11, 2001, Eckelberry felt the call and returned to military service, in the Army Reserves as a Military Policeman from 2002-2004.
Upon returning to Coshocton, he worked for the Coshocton Tribune in the mail room and then went to work for Longaberger Baskets from 1992-2002. While there, he held several positions, such as a runner for materials, security and then physical security/locksmith for the company. In 1992 he began his career in law enforcement, obtaining his Ohio Peace Officer’s Training Academy (OPOTA) Certificate and worked for the Coshocton County Sheriff’s Office Auxiliary. In 1996, Eckelberry was hired as a part-time police officer for the Village of West Lafayette Police Department where he served until 2002 when he accepted a full-time position. In 2020, he was hired as a full-time road deputy for the Coshocton County Sheriff’s Office and in 2023, he returned to work for West Lafayette Police Department as a captain. In his role in law enforcement, Captain Eckelberry enforces the laws; patrols the village walking the neighborhoods and doing welfare checks when needed. The department also performs “business checks” where they will hand-check the doors of local businesses. In addition, the Village of West Lafayette Police Department provides mutual aid to the Coshocton County Sheriff’s Office as well as the Ohio State Highway Patrol. He enjoys “being here for the community, for the people and helping anyway I can.” When asked about his return to law enforcement in West Lafayette from the county, Eckelberry said, “I came back to the West Lafayette Police Department because the Village of West Lafayette and the residents are important to me, as I have known many of them for several years and want our village to be a safe place for families to grow up. Homes in the village aren’t on the market for long, as they sell quickly, because people want their children in Ridgewood School District.”
One of his pivotal experiences happened in June of 2019 when the Village of West Lafayette had a major rainstorm. Eckelberry was working the midnight shift when “approximately seven inches of rain fell in just a few hours which caused severe flooding throughout the village and surrounding areas.” His family was rescued from the flood, while Eckelberry worked alongside many others to rescue others and ensure the safety of the residents impacted by the flooding. Eckelberry was honored by the West Lafayette Chamber to be named Citizen of the Year for the work he did during this event.
When he isn’t serving the West Lafayette community, Eckelberry serves on the board of Operation Veterans Helping Veterans, which he describes as “a great organization. We’ve helped a lot of veterans and veteran families for the holidays.”
When he was selected by Chief Walters to participate in Leadership Coshocton County Class of 2025, Eckelberry said, “I was a little hesitant, but have come to enjoy the class and have learned new things about myself. I believe I will learn new skills I can utilize in my career, for the future and build community relations with the other members of our class. The retreat was an eye-opener, and it showed me I have to get out of the comfort zone that I built for myself.” As he transitions from captain to chief in the coming months, Eckelberry plans to use some of the skills he’s learned to lead his department.
When asked his view of the community, Eckelberry said, “We have a great community where people are willing to help people, and I like being a part of that. We’re one big family. When the flood happened, I saw a side of the community I’d never seen. People going around and helping others.” He also points out, “The village is growing with the addition of businesses and that is important for the village and our community to grow.”
“More people helping people” is one way to make the country stronger, said Eckelberry. “The county as a whole coming together to help neighbors. Job growth and more industry or businesses will also make the country stronger. I don’t know what industry we need but it is important for the county.”
Eckelberry would recommend Leadership Coshocton for others. “I believe Leadership Coshocton County is something anyone who is in, or plans on being in a leadership position should attend,” he said. “It will help you to define yourself and refine your leadership skills.”
Morgan is married to Teressa K. Eckelberry and has been married for 34 years. They have five children, John Wayne Glaister, Destiney Uebel, Jake Eckelberry, Kacia Eckelberry, and Kannin Eckelberry, and are the proud grandparents to six grandchildren.
Category: People & Places
